The Bengaluru Runners Jatre in its third edition promises to be a challenging race on a tricky course. Let us look at the weather first. It on June 9th and the onset of South West Monsoon means there is always the possibility of overnight showers preceding race day. Humidity will also be of a concern around this time of the year in Bengaluru. Here is the weather forecast for the day.
Now, let us turn our attention to the course. The Bengaluru Runners Jatre 2024 route winds through prominent landmarks that make HSR a livable, work(out)able and runnable locality, in that sense it is a well guided tour of HSR for the runner. Over the past few editions, A lot of thought and collaborative inputs (from the relevant authorities) seem to have gone into crafting and refining this route. This time around the 5K and the 10K routes are AIMS certified courses.
Note: The first 5km largely remains the same for both distance categories except for the last 300m in the context of the 5km.
Having set the context let us do a deep dive into the course as the devil 😈 is always in the details. The route low-down below will refer to Bengaluru Runners Jatre 2024 route as Jatre-24 from this point on.
There are two facets to this – the number of turns that you must navigate and the undulating nature of the course.
Let us first talk about the inclines. They are not sharp but are of a rolling nature. What makes this course tricky is the fact that these inclines are your constant companion throughout the race from beginning to end.
That brings us to the second facet of Jatre-24. The turns. There are quite a few turns especially in the first half of the race. Volunteers and route marshals will be manning these turns but it helps to know the lay of the land before you embark on this guided tour of HSR. To the credit of the organizers of Jatre-24 there is not a single U-turn on the course and you don’t run loops where you keep repeating the same stretch of road again and again.
KM-1: You start on the 17th cross road, the arterial thoroughfare of HSR layout, pretty close to the stadium. This is a wide road and this time around there are starting corrals, so we will not see any start line SNAFUs, something that 10K road races are notorious for. The first km is a steady downhill stretch that tapers into a flat section towards the end. You are all charged up and on fresh legs but be careful not to waste too much energy in this section as the real race starts after 2 km.
Pro Tip #1
In Jatre-23 quite a few of us lost the plot in this first KM. We went out way too fast and then paid the price during the later stages. Be smart in this initial section of the race.
KM-2: This section is by and large flat in nature, you take a right turn on the 9th main road and then a left onto ORR service road before you take a left back on the 5th main road. Be prepared to run into some headwinds and crosswinds in this section.
Pro Tip #2
The first 2 km will be the easiest kms you will run on this course. You should push in this section, no two ways about it, BUT, be mindful of the fact that the real race i.e. the turns and the inclines start after this and stay with you right until the finish line.
KM-3: In this section you take a network of turns - from the 5th main road, you take a left on to the 21st cross road, then you take a right on to the 9th main road, finally you take a left on to the 23rd cross road which meets the 14th main road – as you wind through the residential enclaves of HSR. You hit the first uphill albeit a steady rolling one towards the end of this section.
Pro Tip #3
As you can see there are quite a few turns in this section and this can be confusing if you haven’t run this route before. Follow the route markers and the instructions of the route marshals religiously in this section.
KM-4: You transition from residential enclaves into the back-lanes of HSR in this section of the tour. The 22nd cross road (starting from Born Babies on your left) is a flat section, use this stretch to make up for lost time from the previous km. Once you turn right on to the 17th main you encounter the second and a steady uphill on this course with a sharp ascent towards the end of this road. This KM culminates on the 27th cross road after the Bandepalya police station on your left.
KM-5: for the initial part of this section you continue on the 27th cross road and you encounter a gentle downhill. Use this section to recover from the previous uphill and get ready for the next looooong uphill section that starts on the 19th main and culminates on the 22nd cross road.
Pro Tip #4
This is one long uphill section with varying gradients. This is also the section where the 5km runners will separate from the 10km runners. So be mindful of how you tackle this section. If you are a 5km runner, all systems are a go! If you are a 10km runner remember this is just about the halfway mark.
Route Split for 5K/10K Runners
The 5K runners continue on the 19th main and take that final right turn into the Atal Bihari Vajpayee stadium, to run their final 100m to the finish line on the “track”. The 10K runners take a right turn from the 19th main towards the 22nd cross road. Again, please be mindful and follow the instructions of the route marshals who will guide you at this critical junction in this race.
Midway :Thankfully, the maze of turns is done and you have dealt with the most challenging uphill gradients on this course. In the next section of this race; you don’t have as many turns to contend with but the uphill sections are shorter and sharper or are preceded / succeeded by fast downhill stretches. It’s all about counting the KMs down from here.
KM-6: This is a short downhill section, YAY! Coast on this section as you take the right on the 22nd cross road, run through the 24th main road and make your way towards the Nandini milk parlor from where you take a left and the road starts ascending yet again. You finish this kilometer on the iconic 27th main road. HSR says “hold my beer” to Heartbreak Hills!
KM-7: You continue on the 27th main road and you stay on this road for the next mile or so. The initial part of this section is a gentle and undulating uphill. By now, fatigue will be knocking on the doors of your psyche. Keep it waiting on the doorstep by telling yourself that there is a solid downhill stretch in the latter part of this KM. Now is the time to speed up! Use the momentum from the previous downhill as you cross NIFT on your right to navigate a steady uphill section.
KM-8: As you continue your journey on the steady uphill section, remind yourself that there is yet another solid downhill section waiting for you with its arms wide open as you crest the hill on 27th main around Bharatiya Jalpan (on your left side). Make up for lost time in that downhill stretch that extends up to HSR layout police station. You take a left turn onto the 17th cross. Thereafter is a short undulating stretch with two small hillocks one on either side of the 24th main junction. The time to grind has well and truly begun, Hang in there!
Pro Tip #5
Kms 7 & 8 are pretty similar in terms of topography, short to medium uphill sections followed by fast and steep downhill sections. Stay steady on the uphill sections and speed up on the downhills albeit responsibly. There is still some running left to be done after this. Keep that in mind.
KM-9: After the second hillock there is a gentle downhill before you take a left back onto the 19th main. This stretch is undulating in nature until you take the left on to the 13th cross road. Now the game of survival begins. Start distracting yourself in this section as fatigue will start having its say, now, thanks to all this uphill and downhill business. Oh and BTW, you are not done yet! so, derive energy from the volunteers around and the morning walkers around the tree park on your left. The culminating part of this stretch is - no prizes for guessing - a gentle rolling uphill.
KM-10: The final frontier! This section promises to be as interesting as its predecessors on this course of Jatre-24. As you take a right back on to the 24th main road, the initial part of this KM proffers a gentle downhill and a short flat section. But in the second half you encounter a steady but short and sharp uphill as you take that final right turn onto the 17th cross road from where the course tapers into an undulating section with two speed breakers to boot. Say your prayers as you cross the Gayatri Temple on your left and give it your everything (or whatever is left of it) on the final gentle downhill that takes you to the finish line right in front of the stadium! The volunteers and photographers await you after a truly testing effort in and around HSR!
Route Summary:
Route preview write-up by Kartik
Kartik Iyer is a conversationalist, running geek, techie, marathoner, miles to go CrossFit junkie and bathroom Carnatic vocalist. He loves striking random conversations with people just about anywhere, music and anyting to do with tech and fitness, in no particular order. He can be reached at @kartikiyer2007 on Insta and on Strava
Route maps by Aravind
Aravind is a techie, running geek, and a marathoner. He loves all things technology and technology in running, with special interest in running form analysis. He is the co-founder of GeeksOnFeet.