Who is Lata Bhagwan Kare? A farm labourer started running without shoes, burnt her feet, to gather Rs 5,000 for her sick husband

Lola does exist in real life. In the 1998 German blockbuster Run Lola Run, the protagonist named Lola dashes through Berlin to race against time to win 100,000 marks in a bid to save her boyfriend Manni, who needs the money in twenty minutes to avoid being killed by a mob boss. In real life too, India’s very own Lola, Lata Bhagwan Kare, started running not to pursue a lifelong passion or to keep herself fit, but to obtain money (Rs 5,000) for her ailing husband’s diagnosis and treatment. She also started her innings as a runner at the age of 60, when most people think of anything but running!

As per a Times of India report, Lata was a farm labourer and had no running shoes. “My husband was sick and needed an MRI scan; its cost was Rs 5000, which we could not afford at the time,” Lata told BBC Marathi.

One Heart Attack Changed Everything

Lata and her husband Bhagwan lived in Pimpali, a village in Maharashtra. Lata was a farm labourer, while Bhagwan was a security guard. Their peaceful existence came to a standstill when Bhagwan suffered a heart attack in 2013. He suffered severe chest pain, and the doctors urged an MRI scan.


They had meagre savings which couldn't cover medications and the exams.

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Lata asked her neighbours, other villagers, and even her work for financial support after struggling to gather the necessary funds, but her attempts were unsuccessful. The growing expense of Bhagwan's medication compounded their problems as his illness worsened. Lata made the decision to take a second job at a school in order to boost the family's income because they were under increasing financial strain.

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In an interview with The Better India, she disclosed that she overheard a student discussing a senior citizen marathon and the $1,000 prize that would be given to the winner. Lata was interested in learning more, so she received a poster with details on the event. She began preparing for the challenge by seeking help from a fellow villager with only a few days remaining before the marathon.

Although Lata's body had never been accustomed to regular physical training, she depended on her determination to get ready. She started running every morning while carrying two buckets of water to make the training more challenging. During her practice sessions, which included both rocky and steep stretches, she pushed herself to build the stamina needed for the tournament.

Run Lata Run

Lata was intimidated that she was wearing a saree and not footwear on the day of the marathon. She also suffered from stepping on stones, burning her feet on the road, but she was determined not to stop. With the money, her husband’s disease was diagnosed and medications were prescribed.

Following public awareness of Lata's story through reports in local media, she began to receive financial gifts from politicians, locals, and strangers. Additionally, philanthropic institutions approached Lata and Bhagwan and offered them financial assistance. But rather than depending on outside help, Lata was determined to figure out how to care for her husband on her own. She kept running marathons and won two more races in 2014 and 2016.

In 2020, a documentary was made on her life, and she played the lead role herself. At the 67th National Film Awards, it was given the National Film Award—Special Mention.

She revealed she was motivated by nothing other than love. “Love helps you develop a can-do attitude, which makes you fearless and optimistic. Even if the world does not believe in you or mocks you, you know there is one person who will be your cheerleader no matter what," she told The Better India.

Running is not just a sport but sometimes a metaphor for life too. Entrepreneur-media personality Oprah Winfrey once reminisced that just like a running competition, what you get from life is what you put into it. She made this statement after she completed the 1994 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., which she finished with a time of 4 hours, 29 minutes, and 20 seconds. This philosophy is applicable not just for runners but for anyone hoping for success.