State government to organise all-women marathon on March 8

To observe International Women’s Day on March 8, the state government has decided to organise an all-women marathon in the city. The mega event held in Panipat last

To observe International Women’s Day on March 8, the state government has decided to organise an all-women marathon in the city. The mega event held in Panipat last year will be hosted in Gurugram this year, where officials are expecting a footfall of over 100,000.

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On Wednesday, Gurugram police commissioner Muhammad Akil launched an official website for the marathon, www.gurugrammarathon.in, in the presence of O P Singh, principal secretary, sports and youth welfare department, also the special officer to the chief minister, at the Swatantrata Senani Zila Parishad Bhawan in Civil Lines.

“The aim of organising this event is to improve the health of women as running is considered to be the best exercise and to create awareness on gender equality,” said Akil. Sharing the details of the event, he said that the marathon would include runs in 5km, 10km, 21km, and 42.2km category. The winners of these races would be given prizes of ₹10 lakh.

He appealed to women to participate in large numbers in this upcoming marathon and ensure registering themselves on the website by March 5. “Girls above 13 years of age can participate in this event,” said Akil.

The marathon route, however, is yet to be decided. O P Singh said, “The marathon will be flagged off from Cyber Hub on March 8 by the chief minister. The route for this marathon would connect all iconic places of Gurugram so that the runners can see those places. Before the event, promotional runs will be conducted from February 22 to March 5 to create awareness about the marathon.”

The district administration will also conduct a door-to-door campaign, particularly in the 2km radius of the flag-off point. It also plans to reach out to key influencers and opinion-makers of Gurugram to encourage maximum participation. The administration will also nominate thirty brand ambassadors for the marathon from among famous residents of the city to make the event inclusive.

Since 2015, the state government has organised various marathons in districts like Panchkula, Ambala, Hisar, Jind, Sirsa, Yamunanagar, Panipat and Rewari that have attracted over 50,000 runners.