New Delhi: The Mawana Sugars Indian Open Marathon will be flagged off from the India Gate on Feb. 19, 2011 in New Delhi. The marathon is accorded the national status by Athletic Federation of India (AFI). Around 8,000 runners are expected to participate in the event.
The marathon is open only to Indian nationals and also serves as one of the qualification races for the selection of athletes for the London Olympics due later this year.
Every runner will be given an electronic chip to avoid any controversy.
The inning prize is Rs. 2.5 lac for both men and women in the full marathon. For half marathon the prize money is of Rs. 50,000. The prize money for the veteran is 25,000 for full marathon and Rs. 15,000 for half marathon.
“The purpose of this marathon is to encourage the people of India to do healthful things. Running helps in every aspect. Through this we want to send the message across India that they should run as it will help them immensely”, said Siddharth Shriram, chairman, Mawana Sugars Limited.
The Mawana Sugars Indian Open Marathon is one of the oldest marathons in the country. This marathon was started as the Rath Marathon in 1982 and was renamed in 2006.
“Around 6,000 runners have already registered their name, we expect around 8,000 people to participate in the race. The entry will close on Feb. 18”, said Rajesh Tara, secretary, Mawana Sugars Indian Open Marathon.
“The event will see P.T. Usha encouraging the runners”, said Shriram.
By Indian Sports News