Running has been a passion for me for more than 7 years now. I picked up long-distance running as a hobby when I was in grad school in the US and my passion for it has only grown since then. I ran my first full marathon in 2007 (the Carlsbad marathon in California) and post that, have done several half marathons in the US as well as back here in India. Running, for me, has now gone beyond being a health activity and hobby, to become a way to discover new places around me, a medium to make friends with new people and a tool to educate myself and my friends on the benefits of physical exercise and of endurance sports, in particular. After a 5-year gap, I plan to revisit my marathon experience of 2007 and this time, along with the experience, contribute to a larger developmental cause that I have been deeply passionate about---education. To me, education is the most fundamental and sustainable way to positively transform a society and I strongly believe that the more we invest in primary and secondary education today, the more likely we are to see a safe, happy and productive society tomorrow. India, with its perils of corruption and societal stratification, is a place where this is perhaps most relevant, and even though the topic of education does get discussed here at all levels and in numerous social and business gatherings, very little is done by the educated and the affluent to affect change in reality.

I have set my sight on the Auroville full marathon of year 2012 and I have decided to raise at least Rs. 50,000 (1000 USD) to benefit primary education in India while I work towards this target. I plan to work with Asha, an education-focussed NGO that I've recently become engaged with through fellow runners, and to contribute all the raised money towards schools that Asha supports in and around Bangalore. I have already visited one of these schools (the Sita school, in north Bangalore) and hope to continue making such visits during and after the course of my training. I also intend to spend personal time at some of these schools to make sure that the benefits I provide go beyond the monetary and the material. Sita school, in particular, made a lasting impression on my mind---a small class-less school in rural Bangalore with vibrant and talented kids, and teachers, devoted to the development of each and every individual, from the brightest and the most eloquent to the most difficult and the inhibited. I plan to spend a bulk of my time and your money in this school.

Please support me for the Auroville full marathon of 2012 and help me contribute to a better education in India.

All donations made for this run will be tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) in the US and 80G in India.

Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the run.

Thanks to 14 supporters who have helped me raise Rs.50200 towards my goal of Rs.50,000