Is Hyderabad’s citizenry health conscious enough to wake up and run marathons? The answer to that would be a big yes, given that more than 5,000 persons turned up to participate in the ‘Airtel Hyderabad Marathon’ here on Saturday morning, which was flagged off from the Hitex exhibition centre.
Several enthusiasts and regular marathon participants turned up for the curtain raiser event, under which a 3 kilometre (3K) and a five kilometre (5K) run were held. The former was flagged off at 7.15 a.m., and the latter at 7.30 a.m., with both the runs having different routes.
“This is the third marathon that I am participating in and it feels great. This short run helps me prepare for other such exercises and also shows me how much stamina I have,” quipped A. Arun, who participated in the 3K run, along with some of his friends on Saturday morning.
For others, however, the marathon was more of an early morning activity for fun.
“It’s good to be out early in the morning, that too with so many people. It shows the commitment that citizens have when it comes to their health,” mentioned P. Preethi, a resident of Secunderabad, who participated in the 5K run.
Apart from the experienced runners, many first-timers and young children were also seen.
The event was flagged off by Cyberabad Commissioner of Police C.V. Anand, Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, IT, Electronics & Communications Department, Government of Telangana along with the organising team from the Hyderabad Runners’ Society, and others.
As part of the programme, acclaimed marathoner Arun Bhardwaj initiated his attempt to complete over 200 km on a treadmill in 36 hours. His attempt to set the record had begun on Friday morning at 6.40 a.m.
On Sunday, as part of the ‘Airtel Hyderabad Marathon’, a 10 kilometre (10K) run, a half (21.095) and a full marathon (42.195 kms) will be held. The 10K run will begin from the Hitex exhibition centre at 7 a.m. and end at the Gachibowli stadium. State IT and Panchayat Raj Minister K.T. Rama Rao will flag off the run.
The half marathon will start at 6 a.m. and the full marathon at 5 a.m. Both will begin from People’s Plaza, covering places such as Khairatabad, Raj Bhavan road, Panjagutta, Banjara Hills Road No.2 and others.
Special event for some
What made the 3K and 5K marathons more special here on Saturday was the presence of about 20 disabled persons who also participated in the events. Of them, some were victims of the 2013 Disukhnagar bomb blasts. The victims, who are now able to lead their lives normally, thanks to artificial limbs, took part in the event to send across the message of ‘not fearing terrorism’.
