PASSION & VALUES

15/05/2024 by Krisha Kinnersley

Meet Sanjay and his story of running the London Marathon for charity

A year ago, Associate Professor Sanjay Chib was a casual weekend runner. But then, Sanjay and a close friend as well as ex-colleague from Les Roches Crans-Montana had an idea: what if they tried to run the London Marathon?

For Sanjay and his friend Paul, the marathon represented an opportunity to not only test their own endurance, but also support a good cause. Each wanted to contribute to a charity close to their heart: in Paul’s case, supporting cancer research and treatment, and for Sanjay, raising awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS), which affects his wife.

Committing to the race

With a firm sense of joint commitment, Sanjay and Paul decided to enter the London Marathon ballot, a lottery system that determines who gets to participate in this immensely popular event. They didn’t make the ballot, but they were able to secure places by committing to fundraise for their charity of choice.

From then, it was time to train. With around nine months to go until the big day, following a healthy diet and running for progressively longer distances was essential. As Sanjay joked, “I’m no spring chicken! But there are many great resources online, from runners’ groups on social media to ‘couch to marathon’ training plans. Every week, I would run a bit further, adding 10% each time, until?three weeks before the marathon, when I was running 30 kilometres. I had to change my focus to endurance instead of speed. And I learned a lot about hydration and healthy eating, as well as staying fuelled by using energy gels and electrolytes.”

Training for a marathon is a huge time commitment, and Sanjay felt fortunate to have the support of his family and colleagues. “I would go for long runs on Sundays, so that took some time away from my family. My wife and son were understanding, although at first I think they didn’t quite believe it. Each week, they would teasingly ask how far I had run – but when the numbers started to grow, they realised this was serious!” Meanwhile, Sanjay’s colleagues at Les Roches were cheering him on, as well as supporting him if he needed to modify his schedule to accommodate his training.

In the final stretch

“People say that running a marathon is a public display of private will,” Sanjay observes. On Sunday, 21 April 2024, it was time for Sanjay to put that will to the test. Several months earlier, an injury had prevented Paul from continuing to train, so Sanjay would run the marathon alone.

“The London Marathon was incredibly well organised, and the conditions that day were perfect: cool weather, no rain. We were more than 50,000 participants. There was a sea of people – young, old, people with disabilities –?a hugely diverse crowd.” Sanjay had arrived in London a couple of days before and was already a “bundle of nerves”. However, his friend Paul was there to keep him company.

“I still had tremendous doubts,” Sanjay recalls. “But as the race went on, and I kept passing markers showing the distance I had already covered, I began to think: only a few more miles to go. And that helped me feel like I could make it to the end.” When Sanjay reached the finish line, his sister and his friend Paul were waiting to celebrate together.?

Preparing for and successfully completing the London Marathon has been an unforgettable experience in development. “I came back a different person,” Sanjay says. “It gave me a huge sense of achievement, which has positively impacted all areas of my life, professionally and personally.” And Sanjay hasn’t hung up his running shoes yet – since returning from the marathon, he has already been out for a run!?

Learn more about multiple sclerosis?and support Sanjay’s fundraiser for the MS Society:

https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/sanjay-chib