The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : He is no rookie to the world of marathons

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Sunday, May 18, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

He is no rookie to the world of marathons

Avinash Nair

Bangalore: Steve Young, General Manager, Nike Inc., Asia Pacific Region, is no rookie to the world of marathons. He has a passion for running, having participated in the Boston Marathon, the Beijing Half Marathon, the Tokyo Half Marathon and the Melbourne Marathon, with a best time of one hour and 25 minutes for the half marathon.

Mr. Young has flown in from Portland, U.S., to participate in the Sunfeast World 10K run here on Sunday. His experience as a runner across the U.S., Australia and Japan has helped him master his current role at Nike Inc.

Excerpts from an email interview:

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does running help in fitness?

For overall fitness, I will give running a nine. It is great for the cardiovascular system, can’t be beaten for weight management and it really helps clear the head and reduces stress. When combined with stretching it also helps improve muscle flexibility. It is a great fitness regimen.

Running is a fad the world over, though in the Indian context it is just catching up. How do you see this event changing the common person’s viewpoint?

That running is a fad suggests that its popularity will soon fade. I personally do not feel that way. Globally, running events are filling up faster and becoming larger each year. I think this is happening because people are busy and stressed and running is simple, accessible and helps people de-stress. People are drawn to events because they give them goals to aim for and that helps provide the motivation to keep at it.

As to how will this event change the common person’s viewpoint, I guess we’ll have to see. But well-run events such as the Sunfeast World 10K can draw many people into the sport and perhaps inspire them enough to run it.