Cipla's Participation In The Tata Mumbai Marathon

The Tata Marathon, also known as the Tata Mumbai Marathon, is known for being one of the biggest marathons in the world. This annual, international marathon is held in Mumbai during the month of January. In the year 2020, the Tata Mumbai Marathon was held on the 19th of January. 

The Tata Mumbai Marathon has 6 race categories, namely, the Champions With Disability (2.4 km), the Senior Citizen's Run (4.3 km), the Open 10k Run, the Half-Marathon (21.097 km), the Dream Run (6 km) and the Marathon (42.195 km). 

Asthma is a heterogeneous condition of the lungs that is caused due to the tightening of the airways which is a result of various triggers. The symptoms of asthma include the following: 

1. Coughing - especially during the night or after some physical exertion 

2. Wheezing - a whistling sound that occurs while the individual breathes

3. Dyspnea - the feeling of breathlessness that the individual experiences mainly during the night or after some exertion

4. A tight feeling in the chest

Asthma is a long term condition that cannot be cured. That being said, with the right treatment, this condition becomes one that can be easily managed. 

What prevents individuals from getting the right treatment however is the myriad of myths that are usually associated with the condition. These myths are associated with both - the treatment of the condition and the condition itself. 

At the forefront of these myths is the belief that an asthmatic cannot perform any kind of physical activity and that doing so is detrimental to one's health. 

With the second leg of #BerokZindagi in full swing, we thought it important to bust as many myths as possible. The best way to bust the anti-exercise myth was by participating in the Mumbai marathon. To show our support for the asthmatics running in this race, 30 members of our team attended the race. We carried placards, handed out shirts and educated the non-asthmatic runners about asthma and the myths that surrounded it. 

The event was a raging success and we were absolutely amazed by the number of asthmatics that participated in the event. It definitely went a long way in busting the myth that asthmatics could not conduct physical exercise. 

In an effort to bust the myths that surround asthma, we have also created and released a digital film anchored by Radhika Apte and a Facebook Live Interview which has been hosted by Barkha Dutt. You can watch the digital film here and the Facebook Live Interview here. In addition to this, a television commercial was created by Cipla to promote awareness amongst non-asthmatics about the myths that surround asthma. The commercial beautifully portrayed the key vision of the campaign, which is, "Asthma Ke Liye, Inhalers Hain Sahi". You can check out the full commercial here. 

To help asthmatics in India, we have created a Breathefree helpline - 9873 33 55 77. You can use this helpline to locate a nearby doctor or book an appointment.

Want to know more about asthma? Check out Asthma for Non-Asthmatics.