It was a sea of white t-shirts on Avanashi Road on Sunday morning. Participants of the Coimbatore Marathon, organised by the Coimbatore Cancer Foundation, took to the roads, as the onlookers cheered them on. Volunteers, with water bottles and refreshments stood at different points along the route to provide refreshments to the runners.
Over 10,000 participants ran to raise awareness on cancer. While some panted to a halt every now and then and others stumbled, all of them had a smile of pride and satisfaction as they crossed the finishing line. “It is not really about winning, but setting a challenge to yourself and feeling confident,” said Chennai-based marathoner, Shahul Hamid. It was a great moment for 75-year-old R. Lakshmanan, the oldest participant at the Coimbatore Marathon. A retired army employee and an athlete, Lakshmanan has successfully finished the 21.1 km marathon in two hours and 20 minutes. “I have been training for three months for this. My wife was against me taking part in this. She still does not know what I am upto,” he smiles. The Chennai-based Physical Training teacher has successfully finished 1800 km, 5000 km and 50,000 km in his long career.
All the participants assembled at the Stanes School ground for hot, steaming breakfast. Runners from Kochi and Chennai took part in the event too. Bessie Dreamers, a group from Chennai, bubbled with energy and enthusiasm, and continuously cheered winners who hopped on stage to get their medals.
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P.G. Raghuraman, the managing director of Accenture and one of the team members, said, “Corporate companies are taking active interest in promoting marathons across the country. There is an increased awareness on health and fitness among people. We are tapping into that by creating a context for the runners. Accenture has teamed with Puma to hold marathons in Chennai, Delhi and Bangalore.”
Soji Mathew who won the first place in the men’s 21.1 km marathon in one hour and six minutes said it was indeed a proud day for him. He represented his runner’s club called Soles of Cochin. “We are crazy about running. We wake up every day at 5 a.m. in the morning and run around the city or choose suburban spots to practise. We never compromise on the routine.” He said that he was happy running on a different turf for a change and added that Coimbatore Marathon could any day be considered on par with the marathons held across the country. Results: Half Marathon – 21.1 km: a. Men’s category - 1. Soji Mathew, 2. Murali P, 3. Dasari Obulesu; b. Women’s category - 1. R. Poonkodi, 2. Vasanthamani, 3. Sangeetha J.
The marathon was organised by the Coimbatore Cancer Foundation