Three years ago Saikat Chatterjee was a smoker who couldn't walk around Happy Valley racetrack without getting out of breath. These days he runs half-marathons and has his sights set on a full one. What started as a desire to give up smoking has grown into a love affair with running, says the 34-year-old financial markets journalist.
Since his first laboured 10-kilometre road race in 2010, Chatterjee has run five half-marathons and several other shorter races. He continues to progress with each step, shaving 30 minutes off his time at this year's half-marathon event at the Hong Kong marathon, finishing in two hours, 40 minutes. He hopes to better his time in the same race next year.
I see people moving much faster and more gracefully than me; they are the true runners. But if you call someone who engages with the spirit of running, then perhaps I am. I simply love running. If I don't run at least three or four days a week, I'm not the same. It's part of my daily life.
goes from my home in Wan Chai to Cyberport. It snakes through the government offices in Tamar, the ferry piers, Central market, Kennedy Town and on to Cyberport. I usually do this route in the early hours on weekends as I love the peace and quiet at that hour. The route also treats me to the different sights of Hong Kong Island.
in the inaugural Luang Prabang "La Procession" half-marathon. The charity race comprised three loops around the Laotian city, a Unesco world heritage site, and was easily the best way to see it. I signed up for the half-marathon as I now feel I need slightly more than 10 kilometres to satisfy the runner in me.