Hyderabad
We do not know where the Hyderabad chapter will be held yet.
That is not a particularly glamorous opening to a race description, but it is an accurate one.
We are looking for the right ground before writing mythology about it.
A backyard venue has a difficult job. It needs a proper 6.706-kilometre loop, a functioning corral, safe night running, space for crews, weather resilience, permissions, medical access and parking. Those are the practical requirements.
Then comes the harder requirement.
It has to belong to Hyderabad and the Deccan.
Runners in a backyard see the same ground so many times that the venue eventually becomes part of the competition. Every turn acquires a history. Small rises become large ones. A landmark that meant nothing in the morning becomes evidence that the corral is getting closer at three in the morning.
So we are not going to invent a course before we have one.
When the right venue is found, we will learn what the ground has to say. Then we will measure the loop, build the corral and discover what kind of trouble it can produce one hour at a time.
For now, the assignment is simple.
Find the Deccan.
The rest can wait for the bell.