KOLLAM: S. Bahuleyan (37), a devotee, ran a marathon from Thiruvananthapuram to Sannidhanam last year with an appeal that Sabarimala should be declared as a world pilgrim centre. However, he failed to achieve his aim and hence is running again for the same purpose this time. Bahuleyan, a national athletic champion and a contract staff member with the sports council in Kollam, started off from the secretariat junction on Friday and will reach the hills on Sunday by covering 193 km barefoot via Pathanamthitta and Erumeli.
“My effort did not materialise last year, which prompted me to make another attempt this season. Sabarimala has all the qualities to be raised as a world pilgrim centre for which I am striving through my humble effort,” he told DC. He is accompanied by another champion, Venganoor Sreenivasan (45) who had covered the entire state in his single marathon in 2008. They are planning to cover Kanyakumari to Kashmir in 30 days to find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Bahuleyan, who hails from Dhanuvachapuram in Thiruvananthapuram, has to his credit the Limca record for the longest marathon from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod covering 660 km in 2006. Bahuleyan is currently working a temporary staff member with the new hockey stadium in Kollam under the sports council. He has also bagged several meet awards as an athlete. He finished second in the state amateur athletic meet held in 1996 and bagged first in the south zone athletic meet in 3000 metres.
He participated in the Travancore national marathon three times and contested in over a thousand events conducted by various sports clubs in the state. Last year, Mr. Bahuleyan completed a 367-km marathon ending at Guruvayur starting from Thiruvananthapuram. In a bid to raise funds for the treatment of destitute cancer patients, Bahuleyan ran a solo life-saver marathon from Kollam to Kozhikode barefoot in February.
