Aussie woman to run from Thane to Gateway of India
MUMBAI: A 48-year-old Australian water advocate will run for 42kms from Viviana Mall in Thane to Gateway of India on Thursday.
Mina Guli, the CEO of Thirst, an international organisation working for water conservation, is running 100 marathons in 100 days, covering the world, to raise awareness of the global water crisis.
Guli will visit the remote villages and wadas before making her way to the Gateway of India.
“We need to address the severity of the water crisis we are fac- ing. We also need to encourage our governments to make a real change in the way we not only use, but also view the incredibly scarce water supply in many parts of the world,” said Guli.
Titled #Runningdry, Guli launched her campaign at the New York City marathon on November 4, and has covered England, France, Italy, Ethiopia, Israel, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Aral Sea. Guli commenced her marathon on November 23 from Haryana and reached Delhi on November 24, after which, she ran a marathon in Rajasthan followed by Baroda, Valsad and Vapi in Gujarat.
After the Mumbai leg of the marathon, she will fly to South Asian countries and hopes to complete her 100th marathon in New York City on February 11, 2019.
Guli said she was thrilled to be in India, but it was sad to find that pollution is rampant in the country. “I found garbage strewn all over Valsad and Vapi. Plastic is one of the biggest contributors to polluting our water bodies and it suffocates the oceans. The lakes and rivers have been affected and the people and governments should think of various measures to stop this,” said Guli.
Guli, who is based in Hong Kong, is no stranger to long runs. The #Runningdry expedition follows her ‘7 Deserts’ campaign in 2016 and the ‘6 River Run’ in 2017, which saw her complete the equivalent of 40 marathons in 40 days down six of the world’s great rivers.
Guli aims to create a global community of water savers and change the way people use and think about the natural resource.