City gears up for ‘Hyderabad Marathon’ to be held on Aug 25
The 2024 editions of the Hyderabad marathon will see a participation of nearly 25,000 amateur runners, professional athletes and common people.
Hyderabad: As people from all walks of life, irrespective of their age, religion or gender but with a common goal of leading an active lifestyle prepare for the annual Hyderabad marathon on August 25, it is hard to deny or overlook the positive influence that the running event has had on encouraging people to lead an active lifestyle.
Back in its first edition in 2011, the city marathon attracted participation from just 1250 individuals and it also raised a lot of questions over sustaining an event, which is fully a community and voluntary driven. However, by 2024, the Hyderabad marathon will see a participation of nearly 25,000 amateur runners, professional athletes and common people.
This is not all, as the overall footfall will witness anywhere between 2 lakh to 3 lakh individuals who will visit Gachibowli Stadium and Hitex to witness the special Sports Expo, which is a window into the world of running and the latest developments happening in the field.
“While we never tried to actually measure the impact, but we are very sure that through Hyderabad Marathon, we have influenced lakhs of ordinary people to lead an active lifestyle. We have also made running a medium to take up noble causes. As a result, every weekend throughout the year, we see a running event being held for a cause,” says Race Director of Hyderabad City Marathon, Rajesh Vetcha.
As amateur and professional runners get ready to snake their way through major thoroughfares and city landmarks on August 25, the city marathon as a concept has become a community festival.
“Worldwide, city marathons have always been about community participation and creating an atmosphere of a festival for persons who have made active lifestyle as a part of their lives. The Hyderabad marathon is also such an attempt at inspiring common people to lead an active life either through running, cycling or any other active sport,” says Rajesh, who is also founder member of Hyderabad Runners, the voluntary organization which conducts the city marathon.
The journey from a few thousand individuals in 2011 to lakhs in 2024 came gradually with the development of a strong support system in the last few years. Way back in 2011-12, the KBR Park in Hyderabad was the only place where ordinary people who wanted to run used to get an opportunity to meet and train with seasoned runners.
Today, there are nearly 50 such running clubs, in addition to numerous cycling clubs, that are run voluntarily by individuals who are passionate about encouraging people to lead a healthy active lifestyle, across Hyderabad.
Important points:
• Every year, Marathon season in India starts from August and continues till January
• Hyderabad marathon officially marks the start of the marathon season in India
• Between August and January, almost all major Indian cities have their own marathons
• Amateur runners from each city make a pilgrimage to all city marathons in India
• Usually, Mumbai marathon in January marks the end of the marathon season in India
• Marathon is for 42.195 kilometers while Half Marathon distance is 21.09 kms
• A special 10Km run is also held on the same day of a Marathon
• Close to 2 lakh people to witness Hyderabad city marathon on August 25
Major city marathons in India:
Hyderabad (August); Bengaluru Marathon (October); Delhi Half Marathon (October), Mumbai Marathon (January, 2025); Chennai Marathon (January, 2025)
