The Beach Road was awash with orange as more than 15,000 people from different walks of life, wearing the designated T-shirts, took part in the fifth edition of Vizag Navy Marathon here on Sunday.
The route for the event was from Vishwapriya Function Hall to Bheemunipatnam. The full marathon event began at 4.15 a.m. followed by the half marathon at 5.15 a.m. Marathons were also organised in 10-km and 5-km categories that saw the maximum turnout.
People irrespective of their ages all ages turned up for the event. From officers of the Singapore Navy to the children from Araku Valley, many runners from far-off cities such as Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Kochi and others joined the city’s largest fitness event.
For 66-year-old Saviri Saripalli, the event was a test of her fitness. “I participated in the 5-km event. Physical exercise and fitness come first for me. I ensure that I go out for walks daily,” he said.
Global recognition
Since the first edition of Vizag Navy Marathon held in 2014, the participation in the event has grown almost ten-fold. It has been recognised by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Running (AIMS) as one of an important events. “The inclusion of the event in the AIMS’s list is a big success. With the each passing years, the event is attracting more athletes not only from India but from abroad,” said Rear Admiral Deepak Kapoor, Chief Staff Officer (personnel and administration), Eastern Naval Command (ENC).
The upbeat music and cheers by the volunteers helped the runners cross the finishing line. Having completed the race, some participants were seen celebrating zestfully by dancing, while others treated themselves with a dip in the sea after running under the bright sun. “For the past few days, it was rather cold here. But today, the sun shone brightly. The timely cheers from the volunteers helped me finish the race,” said Daniel Victorov, a Russian interpreter, who took part in for the half marathon event.
More than 2,100 student-volunteers ensured the smooth conduct of the event. In addition, 14 medical stations were set up by CARE Hospitals along the race route. CARE Hospitals AGM (business development) S. Sudhakar was in-charge of managing the medial station near the flag-off post. “One person was hospitalised due to drop in the heart beat rate and fluctuating blood pressure. Other cases were related to cramps or dehydration,” he said.
Winners’ list
K. Thirupathamma (26) won the full marathon in female category, while P. Ramani (19) and V. Rama Laxmi (19) came second and third respectively. In full marathon male category, Mohith Rathod (27) emerged winner while Jegadheesan M. (31) and Adinew Tolsea (37) bagged the second and third places respectively. In the half marathon female category, Kalaiselvi L. (21) won as Smrita Sengar (35) and Gayatri (52) bagged the second and third places. Hari Singh (26) won in the male category as V. Nagaraju (25) and Kite Thushar (22) came second and third . Vinitha M. (21) won the 10-km category event while Naveen (22) emerged winner in the male category.
