Twenty-three-year-old Supriya Patil, who ran barefoot to emerge the second runner-up in dna ICan women's marathon on Sunday, is a happy woman. Her hard work and struggle has come to Konkan Railways' notice. KR on Monday volunteered to bear the expense of procuring the running shoes Patil wants.

KR chairman and managing director Bhanu Prakash Tayal said he was stunned to read in dna's March 9 edition that Patil ran 21 kilometres barefoot. "I wondered how she did that. I was moved when I read her story of struggle and perseverance," said Tayal.

On Monday, she received a cheque for Rs10,000 from KR. "I will use the money to buy running shoes. I would love to own a Nike pair for professional athletes. They need to be lightweight and have a good grip," the HSC commerce student told dna.

Patil, who appeared for her last board exam on Monday, participated in Sunday's marathon despite it, completing her race in 1 hour, 22 minutes and 33 seconds, three seconds behind Nilam Rajput. Patil, who runs a marathon every week or two, added that she plans to use her dna marathon prize money of Rs25,000 to travel to different cities across the country and participate in more such runs.

I have been running barefoot since childhood, she said, adding, "When I was four years old, I participated in a race. I have been running since. Earlier, I was not aware that we need running shoes to compete. I am habituated to running without them. However, I aspire to compete in good running shoes. They will definitely boost my performance."

Waking up at 3.45am daily, she starts her run around 4.30am. But the Kegaon village resident doesn't have access to a running track or playground there. "Hence, she runs on the Uran highway, barefoot most of the time," Tayal told dna.

Patil said, "I run on the highway early in the morning as there are no cars to disrupt my training. Sometimes, I go to the nearby beach to run."

Having run and stood among the top three in marathons in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata and Thane, Patil is now eying the 15km Pinkathon run set to take place in Hyderabad next week. "I will buy my dream running shoes before leaving for Hyderabad," she said.

She aspires to represent India at the international games in the future. A professional Steeple Chase player, Patil had bagged a silver medal at the state-level games last year. She hopes that the state supports more sportspersons and helps them achieve their professional dreams. "I urge the state to make travel for aspiring sportspersons easier so that they are encouraged to participate in games across the country," she added.