n Sunday, thousands ditched their ‘lazy weekend’ mood and got into their running gear to showcase the beauty of competitive spirit and healthy living.
As the stream of runners crisscrossed through the heart of Hyderabad and culminated in the IT hub of Cyberabad, they inspired thousand others. Many citizens either cheered along and volunteered to help these runners or took a vow to repeat the feat with their own legs next time around.
The fifth edition of the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon witnessed a huge turnout of 14,000 runners, from across the country, who enthusiastically took part in races. While the full marathon (42.195) and half marathon (21.095) began at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. respectively from Necklace Road, the 10k run was flagged off at 7 a.m. at Hitex in Madhapur. All the three competitive races culminated in the Gachibowli Stadium.
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Some sprinted, some sweated but the spirited ones had all the support from the sidelines in the form of music bands, lively programmes, refreshments, medical aid and most importantly, a motivating crowd.
In the end, Titus Karinki of Kenya clocking 2.32 hrs and Jyoti Gawate of India with 3.05 hours won the full marathon.
Srinivas Bhugatha and Jyoti Chauhan were declared the winners of half marathon. Rakesh Kumar and Yamini Umesh won the 10k race.
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Jyoti Gawate and Bhanupratap Singh, who finished third in the full marathon, were selected under the Elite Indian category and won a fully paid trip to the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
Representing the organisers, Hyderabad Runners’ Society, Murali Nannapaneni, race director, said: “It’s a proud moment for all Hyderabadis as the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon is reaching great heights year-on-year. It is indeed truly inspiring to see such large number of sports-loving people coming together not only to be part of this event, but also to promote active lifestyle among public.”
A significant number of IT and corporate employees made their presence felt at the event, but United Health Group, with 1,300 of its employees participating, won the Corporate Trophy.
All the finishers were awarded medals and the winners were given trophies along with special prizes.
From teens to nonagenarian, the annual Hyderabad marathon was embraced by one and all. The senior most participant was 93-year-old Vijaya Rama Chandra Reddy, a resident of Madhapur, who successfully competed the 10k run.
The event was graced by a number of dignitaries and guests from various fields, including Telangana IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, Hyderabad Traffic DCP Jithender and others.