Bhaag Behram bhaag

He went for his first run on September 14, 1983. Thirty-one long years later he is still running! Meet octogenarian Behram Contractor who says he has been on the road each and every day since that fateful morning in his native Baroda when he took off for a simple jog. "One day just led to another,” he says matter of factly about his feat.
Since then, he has participated in numerous competitions and friendly meets in India and abroad, often as the oldest competitor. His daily exploits are no doubt difficult to prove for the record books but when you have known "Behram uncle” since forever, been his neighbor for decades, have always seen him running, have heard stories about his undying passion and the city associates him with the sport, you know the man means business.
Contractor is a familiar face on the streets of Fatehgunj, where he resides, and the nearby Sayajibaug, the sprawling public garden which forms part of his daily route. He used to run longer distances in the early days, then slowed down to about eight or nine km but now at 82 he does a gentle five or six km in 70 minutes. He prefers to jog alone, touching trees en route, greeting passersby with "Jai Hind” and praying at the statue of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad, the city’s founder. Depending on the season, he is up anytime between four and 5.30 a.m. An hour later, he is ready to begin his routine — come rain or shine. This June, he ran with a torch. "It was really hot, so I used to get up very early and take a torch with me while running. I would return home before the street lights went off.” During light showers he prefers to get wet rather than use an umbrella, but when it pours incessantly he has a novel solution — he opens up all the doors of his circular, colonial-style bungalow and literally runs in circles along the large corridor which encompasses it! "This year, there was just one day when I had to resort to this. I ran for 23 minutes,” he smiles.
Even illness has failed to stop aapro (our) Behram. His wife Daulat recounts: "One night Behram had high fever, so I called the doctor early the next morning. He diagnosed him as having falciparum malaria, gave him a couple of injections and advised him bed rest. Frankly, I was scared for him and decided to make him a cup of coffee. When I came out of the kitchen, I found Behram was missing! Just then, our daily vegetable vendor happened to come to our doorstep and he mentioned to me that he had seen ‘uncle jogging.’ I thought my husband was truly mad!” The husband laughs, "Yes, that day, I must have gone mad. I cheated her and went for a one-km jog even though the injections were hurting.” The deaths of his mother and sister too failed to deter him from his routine.

That same spirit saw him specially fly down from the US to participate in the Vadodara International Half Marathon in February 2012 in which nearly 41,000 people took part. A year before that he was invited to be one of the torchbearers for the Torch Bearer’s Run, a celebrity torch relay which was the curtain raiser to the Vadodara International Half Marathon, the city’s first international running event. That was followed by a five-km run at the IMA Vadodara Half Marathon to celebrate "Meri Beti Meri Duty” on December 23, 2012. "Running for your own city brings an immense sense of pride,” the old-time Barodian says, recollecting his first-ever runs — the 1.5-km route to his school carrying a bag of books.
Contractor maintains a diary and on January 24, 2011 celebrated 10,000 consecutive days since he put on those trainers. "I didn’t plan to run so many years. I remember recording my first 50 days, then 100… Now, getting up and running is as natural as going to sleep every day.” Does he ever feel like sleeping in late? "Yes, but I fight the feeling and then am all right. Call it discipline, obsession, compulsion. It’s not an addiction, it’s a joy, a passion.” Blessed with good health, notably strong knees, he can still get by with a post-run breakfast of paratha or rotli, malai and jam. "I have never enjoyed outside food, controlled my diet or been a heavy eater,” he observes, adding that he fights shy of going to doctors and taking medicines.

Behram Contractor at The Terry Fox Run

The Contractor couple travels to Canada two to four times a year because their son Shiraz, a senior commander and pilot examiner with Jet Airways, and daughter Shefali Guzder, who works in a transport company, are settled there. Contractor makes it a point to run every day in Canada, never mind having to bundle up in layers of woolies. "There’s nothing to do, so I wake up late and time my run at 2.30 p.m. India time,” he observes. If there are any races/friendly meets in the neighborhood, he is more than eager to join in. He celebrated his 80th birthday in 2012 while taking part in The Terry Fox Run hosted by the Bolton Kinsmen. Looking much younger than his years and displaying fitness levels which would shame many of today’s youth, Contractor has been a fixture at The Terry Fox Run for seven consecutive years. It is held annually across the world in memory of Canada’s Terry Fox who, despite losing a leg to osteosarcoma, chose to go on a cross-country run to raise money and awareness for cancer research and who died in 1981 fighting the disease. Last year, Contractor also took part in the Mississauga Marathon in Canada, where too he has become a familiar personality on the road over the years.
Last September, he timed a trip to Canada to participate in the 2014 Terry Fox Run, where he ran five km. But before that he enjoyed a run at Brussels airport while flying Bombay-Brussels-Toronto. Yes, Contractor runs at airport lounges between flights, not in his trademark T-shirt and shorts but in a crisp suit and black leather shoes…so as to not skip a single day! "Brussels airport is huge with some 40-odd gates. I start from Gate 15, go to Gate 1 and return to Gate 15. The hostesses know me well by now. They take my bags and say, ‘Go for your run.’”
Daulat, his wife of 55 years, has the last word: "He can live without me but not a day without jogging!”