GURUGRAM, Feb 25 : About 35,000 people took part in the Gurugram Marathon on the theme of ‘Run for Zero Hunger’ on Sunday. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar flagged off the marathon at the Laser Valley ground. The enthusiasm of the participants was palpable with people also dancing during cultural programmes. Khattar reached the marathon track in an open jeep and encouraged the runners.
The chief minister honoured runners who won in various categories with prizes worth Rs 13 lakh. In the men’s full marathon, Ajay Kumar of Uttar Pradesh stood first and won a prize of Rs 1.5 lakh, while Maharashtra’s Sikandar secured the second position and received a prize of Rs 1 lakh. Mikiyas of Ethiopia stood third in this category and won a prize of Rs 75,000.
Kiran from Haryana’s Rohtak stood first in the women’s full marathon, while Delhi’s Bharti and Uttar Pradesh’s Manju Rani secured the second and third positions, respectively.
Abhishek, Ravi and Yash of Uttar Pradesh stood first, second and third in the men’s category in the 10-kilometer run. In the women’s category, Ruby, Reema and Neha from Uttar Pradesh captured the first, second and third positions, respectively. Chief Minister Khattar honoured the winners in this category with prizes of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000.
CM Khattar announced that the government will organise the marathon every year on the last Sunday of February. Such events help eradicate despair and depression, he said.
“The huge crowd of people participating in the Gurugram Marathon is a testimony to the fact that the future of our city, state and the country is safe in the strong hands of the young generation. A healthy body is our biggest asset and to keep it healthy, activities like walking, running and jogging are very important. This event will send a positive message about healthy lifestyle to all sections of the society.
“After successfully organising the Gurugram Marathon, a similar event is being held in Faridabad on March 3. Haryana is the land of sports, hence such sports events will be organised in all the districts of the state to encourage a healthy lifestyle,” said Khattar.
Cricketer and the Gurugram Marathon’s ambassador Shikhar Dhawan was the centre of attraction in the event. RJ Naved, Desi Rockstar MD and singer Naveen Punia and other artists also entertained the audiences with their performances.
Various cultural programmes were also presented to encourage the runners. Haryanvi singer MD gave his live performance on the song ‘Drugs Free Haryana’.
A programme of drums, a Haryanvi bean group etc were also presented on the marathon track. Khattar was impressed by the yoga team and honoured it with an award of Rs 1 lakh in the cultural programme category. (PTI)
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