Armed with proof of having completed 635 marathons before, German Rosemarie Von Kocemba is keen to make her maiden Mumbai trip special
Six hundred and thirty five marathons maybe a jaw-dropping number for most of us, but for Rosemarie von Kocemba Sunday's Mumbai Marathon it is just another thing.
Germany's Rosemarie von Kocemba trains for Sunday's Mumbai
Marathon at Marine Drive yesterday. Pics/Satyajit Desai
The race organisers have confirmed that the 66-year-old German lady will be the only participant with so many marathons under her belt for tomorrow's eighth edition of the Mumbai Marathon.
Rosemarie, who will compete in the full marathon (42kms), stressed that all her previous marathons are completed. "I have not just participated but also completed the marathons. I have also ran many ultra marathons (72kms and above)," Rosemarie told MiD DAY yesterday.
Rosemarie, who ran her first marathon at the age of 40, found the addiction too hard to resist thereafter.
"I never thought I would run a single marathon, forget doing so many. I hated sports when I was younger. I started running because I wanted to keep myself fit. Also I had quit smoking, so I wanted to take up some activity that would keep me away from smoking.u00a0
Luckily, I found running. I then met some runners from the 100 Marathon Club in Germany, where the passion got a real booster," explained the Hamburg resident.
This is Rosemarie's first visit to India and the Mumbai Marathon is all that she has heard about the country.
"I was very excited to participate in Mumbai after a few fellow runners of my club (100 Marathon Club) described their experiences. I saw the city while coming from the airport and it is beautiful. I want to run on the sea link," she said with a broad smile.
A minor leg injury however threatens the completion of Rosemarie's Marathon Number 636. "I will try my level best to complete the race, but if I don't, I would come once again to compete it in the next edition," she signed off.
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