The Kochi half marathon against drug abuse organised by Vimukthi (Kerala State Mission for De-addiction) under Excise Department will be flagged off at Maharaja’s College Ground by Mayor Soumini Jain, footballer C.K. Vineeth and D. Rajeev, CEO, Vimukthi, at 5.30 a.m. on Saturday.
The event being organised in association with the district administration, district panchayat and the Kochi Corporation will also feature a fun run, which will be flagged off by Excise Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan at 6.30 a.m.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, K. Chandra Palan, deputy excise commissioner, said that over 1,300 participants have already registered for the half marathon while over 5,000 participants from all walks of life are expected for the fun run.
Contests will also be held for the differently abled and transgender persons as well.
Traffic regulation
The half marathon will be held from Maharaja’s College Ground to Willingdon Island and back. Traffic along the route will be regulated during the event.
There will three separate categories for men and women – general and those aged between 30 and 50 and those aged above 50.
Winners in the general category will receive prizes of ₹50,000, ₹30,000 and ₹20,000 while for other categories the prizes will be Rs. 25,000, ₹15,000 and ₹10,000.
