On an endless run

The Aluva-born Nixon Joseph, is the oldest marathon runner among the 2.7 lakh employees of the State Bank of India as well as the first Indian banker to complete 30 marathons.

By Shevlin Sebastian

On February 4, Rajnish Kumar, the chairman of the State Bank of India stood on an open-air stage in Mumbai and said, “I congratulate Nixon Joseph for his inspiring achievement. Doing things differently inspires everyone and he is a good example.”

Nixon, who is the President and Chief Operating Officer of the SBI Foundation, was being felicitated for completing 25 full marathons. At 57, he is the oldest marathon runner among the 2.7 lakh employees of the bank as well as the first Indian banker to complete 30 marathons.

Some of the places he has run include Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Hokkaido, Phuket (Thailand), Singapore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Shillong, Cherrapunji, Delhi, Gurugram, Satara (Maharashtra), Pune and Mumbai.

And it all began rather accidentally. One day, when he was 44 years old, he realised that all bankers did more or less the same job. “From the top to the junior-most all are career bankers,” says Nixon. “I could not find anything different. I always felt that someone should look at you and say that you are inspiring. I wondered how I could be different.”

That was when he saw an advertisement in a newspaper asking for entries for the Standard Chartered Mumbai marathon. So, he decided to participate. “Even though it was 42.195 kms, I could not comprehend the distance,” he says.

Nevertheless, Nixon bought canvas shoes worth Rs 300 and set out. After seven kms, the soles came off.  His feet started paining. Blisters added to the discomfort. “It was like being in hell,” says Nixon. But he decided he would not give up. But when Nixon reached 30 kms, he thought, ‘Why am I doing this? I should stop now’. But somehow, he felt he had to complete the race. In the end, it took him seven hours and fifteen minutes to finish.

Following that, Nixon was awarded a finisher’s medal. The next day when he took the medal to the office, many people congratulated him. “That was when I realised that 42 kms is a long distance,” says Nixon.

He began training in earnest. But his turning point came when he was posted to Japan in 2008. “In Tokyo, there is an environment that encourages all kinds of physical activities,” says Nixon. “I saw 85-year-old men and women doing jogging, swimming, cycling, and working out in the gym. There were numerous running and jogging tracks, as well as many playgrounds. Another advantage was the pleasant weather. I felt very motivated. I was thinking, ‘If an 80-year-old man can jog, why cannot I?’

Even workaholics looked after their bodies. “My colleague used to leave office at 10 p.m., and go to the gym. He would work out for an hour before going home,” says Nixon. “I felt that age should not be a barrier to achieve our dreams.”

Soon, Nixon began participating in marathons. And when he returned to India, after his four-year stint, he continued to do so. “The Indian attitude is, ‘You are getting old, relax, don’t do anything’,” says Nixon. “But what most people don’t understand is that running energises me. I don’t feel that I am aged. I have always felt young,” says Nixon.

He added that running made him determined, bold, and sharpened his brain. “You tend to carry this behaviour to the office, and end up performing better,” he says.

When the SBI launched green marathons (21 kms, 10 kms and 5 kms) in October, last year, to promote sustainability Nixon volunteered to run, to inspire the bankers. “I have taken part in eleven races, so far,” he says.

And people are aware of his achievements. “Whenever I go to a SBI branch and am introduced, many tell me that I inspire them,” says Nixon, who is a regular motivational speaker at colleges and institutions.

Asked how he prepares for marathons, Nixon says, “Since I am running a marathon once every three months, I am always in training.” He runs one hour a day and three hours on the weekend. Nixon leads a disciplined life. He goes to sleep early. He does not smoke and is only a social drinker. He avoids using the elevator. The corporate headquarters in Mumbai has 19 floors. Nixon used to work on the sixth floor. Whenever he had to meet the top executives on the 18th floor he would walk up the stairs. “It increases your endurance levels and stamina,” says Nixon, who was born in Aluva.  

His father worked in the Life Corporation of India while his mother was a homemaker. Nixon did his graduation from UC College and got the third rank. He also studied at Government Law College, before he got selected in SBI as a probationary officer. He is married to Rose, a homemaker, and has two daughters, Priya, 23, and Swapna, 21.

Asked about his future plans, Nixon says, “My immediate aim is to run 50 marathons.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)