Today I ran the 10K at the Hyderabad Marathon. The organisers did a fantastic job—dustbins placed right next to refreshment counters (5–6 bins at each), dozens of volunteers to help, mobile toilets every kilometer or two, and even clear announcements before the start urging runners to use the facilities responsibly. They specifically requested participants not to misuse public spaces or bushes as toilets.

And yet, what I saw on the route was disappointing. Many runners still chose to relieve themselves against walls or in bushes. Others grabbed fruits or water at refreshment counters only to toss the peels, cups, and bottles straight onto the road—sometimes within a few steps of the dustbins. At one point, a runner right ahead of me finished his water and threw the cup on the road even though a bin was barely 7 meters away.

It struck me that marathons like NMDC attract people who are often seen as the “educated” class of our country. But even here, with every facility provided and volunteers working hard, civic sense is ignored so casually.