High Cloud Foundation - Because Dreams Come True

The 77-year-old doctor and India native will finish his 97th marathon in October when he runs with High Clouders in the Marine Corps Marathon.

Roy joined High Cloud after a friend told him of the work the foundation does in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).  He said that because he was already running so much he wanted to start running for a charity. 

   

"It is a great honor for me to work with High Cloud, which is working to alleviate the sufferings of millions of poverty-stricken children all over the world, including my own motherland India," he said.

 

Roy will join High Cloud on its upcoming humanitarian mission to India in November.

Roy is known as 'The Grand Old Marathon Man of India' in his home country.  This distinction has led to many news articles about him, as well the publication of Roy's book The Joy of Running, which sells in India.

He filled the work with advice for runners of various abilities, and he intends the book as an ode to the sport.  Roy himself started running at age 52.  

"You can start running any time," he says.  "Running is the best exercise because it's most natural for a human being."

Birds fly for exercise, he says, and crocodiles swim, so why shouldn't humans use their legs?

He urges new runners to begin on soft surfaces, such as soccer fields, to avoid joint aches.  He instructs beginners to run a few days a week, gradually increasing by half a mile every two weeks.  Runners should shoot for 40 miles per week when training for a half marathon, and even more when working toward a full marathon.

Roy has only been living in the U.S. since April, but he says he has long admired how Americans popularized the sport.  He hopes to move more people in India to run. 

"I'm an unusually fit man in my country, and I look youthful because of the exercise," he says.

To learn more about Dr. Roy's life and career, check out Wikipedia .  This article even includes a breakdown of his marathons by country.