A marathon held in Kochi, Kerala, on the morning of February 1, 2026, had all the usual sights: runners pacing themselves, some walking it out, others pushing hard through the stretch and the steady buzz
of a city waking up to a fitness celebration. But one participant ended up grabbing the spotlight for a reason nobody saw coming.
In a short clip now doing the rounds online, a father is seen taking part in the marathon while carrying the infant in a front baby carrier strapped across his chest. Dressed in a white T-shirt and black track pants, he keeps moving at a steady pace, blending into the crowd, until the baby is asleep right in front of him.
The father holds a bottle in his left hand, while his right hand stays near the baby’s head, supporting it as he continues forward. The baby remains in the carrier, as marathoners around them run and walk alongside.
Watch the video here:
പിഞ്ച് കുഞ്ഞുമായി മാരത്തോണിൽ പങ്കെടുത്ത് അച്ഛൻ |Nammude Run Marathon Kochi
byu/Rajar98 inKerala
The scene quickly caught attention of social media users. But instead of praise, many users expressed concern and criticism over the father’s choice to run with his infant strapped to his chest.
One Reddit user wrote, “Good god. I am not a baby. But if my dad tried to pull off a stunt like this with me, even though I am an adult, I am looking for another more sensible Dad, immediately.”
Others were far less charitable about the father’s conduct. One user said, “All kids deserve parents, but not all parents deserve kids.”
Another questioned how such a situation was permitted in the first place, writing, “Why was this allowed?”
Concerns centred on the baby’s wellbeing, with one user urging that at the very least a running stroller should have been used, calling the act “cruelty.”
Another user said the moment was less about bonding and more about spectacle, writing, “This is not ‘super-dadding,’ it is negligence disguised as fitness. If you want to run, use a stroller or get a babysitter. Don’t turn your child’s spine into a shock absorber.”
One user also pointed to broader responsibility, asking, “Don’t these organisers have some control over this?”
What may have been meant as a wholesome moment at Kochi’s marathon has sparked a debate about safety, parenting and whether this crossed the line.
