MUMBAI: Nalasopara resident Seema Verma has made it to the winners’ podium at many running events over the last few years, but it’s her personal story of grit that inspires fellow-runners the most.
Verma, a 38-year-old single mother who survived an abusive marriage, worked as a domestic help before one of the ‘memsahibs’ helped her take up running professionally.
Today, Verma—mother of a 19-yearold boy—makes a living only out of running. While she refuses to reveal how much she earns, she said, “When I finish on the podium, I get something like Rs 20,000. Collectively, these earning help me survive.”
Considering that Verma finished on the podium in 14 of the races she ran through 2019, it would be safe to assume she made over Rs 2 lakh—considerably more than a domestic help would make in a year.
She isn’t yet an elite marathoner—a title that requires women to complete the 42-km run in roughly 3:05 hours-—but she finished on the podium of the Tata Mumbai Marathon held in January with a timing of 3:52:58 hours.
Running, though considered a nascent sport in India, is estimated to be a $200 million business. The tribe of local elite marathoners is thus slowly but surely growing. In the West, winning races offers rich dividends: most marathons offer special prices for runners who finish the run in specific period (say a $1,000 for finishing under 2:11 hours for men and 2:28 for women) and the winner earn tens of thousands dollars. The first-place runner at the London Marathon, for instance, gets over $50,000.
8 years after starting as runner, she made a mark
Verma lived in Kolkata before moving to Mumbai at eight years of age. She was married at 17 years of age to an alcoholic who deserted her and their son within four years of their wedding. Forced to fend for herself and her toddler, Seema took up odd jobs, including being a househelp. There were days when she had to lock up her son at home so that she could go to work.
One of Verma’s employers, who knew about her love for sports, exhorted her to take up running to supplement her income. It was also the time when Verma was learning karate. Her parents were not encouraging as they wanted her to concentrate on getting a job and raising her son. Under the circumstances, it wasn’t easy for her to spare time to train for a marathon but she slowly over the next couple of years got better at running.
Now, eight years after starting her journey as a runner, Verma has crossed a personal landmark: she only depends on her passion of running to survive.
Verma, a 38-year-old single mother who survived an abusive marriage, worked as a domestic help before one of the ‘memsahibs’ helped her take up running professionally.
Today, Verma—mother of a 19-yearold boy—makes a living only out of running. While she refuses to reveal how much she earns, she said, “When I finish on the podium, I get something like Rs 20,000. Collectively, these earning help me survive.”
Considering that Verma finished on the podium in 14 of the races she ran through 2019, it would be safe to assume she made over Rs 2 lakh—considerably more than a domestic help would make in a year.
She isn’t yet an elite marathoner—a title that requires women to complete the 42-km run in roughly 3:05 hours-—but she finished on the podium of the Tata Mumbai Marathon held in January with a timing of 3:52:58 hours.
Running, though considered a nascent sport in India, is estimated to be a $200 million business. The tribe of local elite marathoners is thus slowly but surely growing. In the West, winning races offers rich dividends: most marathons offer special prices for runners who finish the run in specific period (say a $1,000 for finishing under 2:11 hours for men and 2:28 for women) and the winner earn tens of thousands dollars. The first-place runner at the London Marathon, for instance, gets over $50,000.
8 years after starting as runner, she made a mark
Verma lived in Kolkata before moving to Mumbai at eight years of age. She was married at 17 years of age to an alcoholic who deserted her and their son within four years of their wedding. Forced to fend for herself and her toddler, Seema took up odd jobs, including being a househelp. There were days when she had to lock up her son at home so that she could go to work.
One of Verma’s employers, who knew about her love for sports, exhorted her to take up running to supplement her income. It was also the time when Verma was learning karate. Her parents were not encouraging as they wanted her to concentrate on getting a job and raising her son. Under the circumstances, it wasn’t easy for her to spare time to train for a marathon but she slowly over the next couple of years got better at running.
Now, eight years after starting her journey as a runner, Verma has crossed a personal landmark: she only depends on her passion of running to survive.
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