The great Wipro Marathon!

Spirit of Wipro!

On a fine evening of September; Sep-5th to be specific, I received a message from my friend KUMBA (that’s his pet name – KUMBA in our language means - Tummy) who works in Wipro, asking us to join for the Wipro marathon. He knows us very well that he had mentioned very clearly that there will be a Free T-shirt and food to everyone who participates in the marathon run... :). As it was on 6th morning 7 and I didn’t have any other work than sleeping, I thought I will not miss that T-shirt... Also, I can see some Great runners in my previous company whom I couldn’t meet when I was there at Wipro... Especially the female runners....LOL... My roommate was anyways not interested to come, as he didn’t want to trust KUMBA at all and waste his sleep on a Saturday morning, as KUMBA is notorious for playing prank on his friends always!! However, I decided to trust him and set the alarm to 6.30Am and hit the bed for a tight sleep...


Next day I got up at 6.30 and got ready, KUMBA picked me up from the Agara-junction and we were hurrying to the Wipro Sarjapur office, as we were getting late.. While going KUMBA was saying, - “Man No running business, just get the T-shirt and escape.. I can’t run early morning!!” As we were entering, the first marathon was kicking off, the shortest version - only 4kms! KUMBA asked me to register at the gates and he rushed inside the parking which is again some 100meters away from the Gates. Before I could tell him that I need him with me while registering, he had already left the place... The security did not allow me to register as I was not a Wipro employee and also not guided by one! Finally I had to call up KUMBA to come back and register my name for the marathon. Being a born lazy bug, he tried to resolve it over the phone, but did not work...So he came back to the Gates - all the way by walk. I saw him wearing the Wipro's Marathon special T-shirt! I said, if I don’t get one, I am going to grab his T-shirt for sure... He said – “Come fast the shortest Marathon already started, we should join it; else we will have to run for the Longest one, which is 10kms...” I said, “Boss, Are we really going to run or we are here just to get the T-shirt and the free food??” Surprisingly he said – “My friends and colleagues are there, Lets at least participate and justify for taking the T-shirt!!” I was shocked to hear it from KUMBA!!Then I realized he was kidding... After all he is KUMBA! :D, His plan was to run till the main gate and join then escape from there, by limping.. Finally I got my T-shirt.. Half of the mission accomplished... Now we got to know one more thing... When we start the long marathon, later sometime, we will find the shortest marathon guys coming back to the start point... So we planned to start with the longer marathon and finish with the Short marathon guys: D...


So the marathon was started, and as per our plan, we saw the shortest marathon runners coming back soon after some 100meters from the main gate.. We were all set to limp.. Then we took a smart turn from a crowded place and started to run back as if we are dying to finish the 4km marathon... But as we were approaching the finishing line, we saw that everyone who returns to the finishing point got some blue paint sprayed on their t-shirt.. I felt happy... Good that we didn't go with them; else the t-shirt would be spoiled... I couldn't see KUMBA, as he was running to beat the real runners at the finishing line... I was not that big cheater like him, so I was walking towards the finishing line with some tired runners.. But as soon as I crossed the finishing line, one volunteer came to me and asked, "Hey you did not complete the run right??" I was shocked, how the hell he came to know this!! Anyways, I didn’t feel like lying.. I said - "No, I had a muscle pull.. So i came back walking...” Then later I came to now that, The blue paint I saw sprayed on them was a proof for them to reach the 2km spot before reaching the finish line... I looked around... Everyone except the volunteers has got the blue paint on their T-shirt!! And all are glaring at us!! ahem ahem.. Who cares, I am not working in Wipro...


Then we thought ok, let’s go in and have the breakfast.. We both went inside on the lawn where all the REAL runners were resting and having their breakfast... We took one box each and sat in a corner.. In the box, we found something similar to a Tuna Puff- My favorite!, a Cup cake, A bottle of Appy and some coconut biscuits...Hmm yummy!! We both looked at each other were laughing!! We are not worthy of this, as we didn’t even run 200meters!! But, we were not that bad to waste the food we took.. But then, I found that, the puffs I got was empty inside!! And the same with KUMBA!! We felt, what the FISH!!! Azim Premji is not that kanjuse to have a breakfast of this kind!! But then we realized, only we both got empty puffs... May be the makers would have forgot or purposefully wouldn’t have filled inside some of them and God kept those for us!! Hmm... We both looked at each other again, and said, God is great!!


But we never gave up, we carried on eating the remaining and finished it in hurry and left the place quickly!!

While coming out of the Wipro main gate, The posters read this way – Spriti of Wipro… and my mind was saying, "Run Jithu Run!! Run and escape!!!!!!!!!"