Running on the IIT Bombay Campus

There are few places in Mumbai where you can run without avoiding the traffic and the crowds… the IIT campus is one of them. And for me, it is also personal, as I spent 4 years of my life studying there back in the late 1980s.

Running on the campus is pure bliss… the campus is scenic, and the tree canopy also lowers the temperature compared to the rest of the city, and anyone who has run in Mumbai will know what a relief this would be.

One of my favorite parts of the campus to run is the stretch that borders Powai Lake, from the Padmavati Temple at the southern end to the cow shed near Hostel 8. And the Main Road with the palm trees on both sides is always grand. Then there is also the sports ground and the track if you would like to do intervals, though that is closed during the monsoons.

The campus is fairly small though: a complete loop is only about 5k. While great for shorter runs, you will need to do several loops if you want to do a longer run.

One thing you need to be aware of though are the stray dogs, as they can actually chase and bite you. Luckily the cows are no longer an issue as they have been corralled into a cowshed.

Of course, access to the campus is only limited to students, staff, faculty and alumni, so unless you have a connection to one of them, it would be off limits for the general public to run. But, find a connection, and experience running on the campus, even if just once!