Coimbatore Marathon 2008

Participants at ‘Coimbatore Marathon 2008’ organised by Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity and Central Reserve Police Force in the city on Saturday. The Coimbatore Marathon 2008-Run for CRPF Jawans organised by Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Ambika Cotton Mills Limited witnessed an overwhelming response from the people of Coimbatore and those from neighbouring districts and states.

Convener of the event Rotarian K.A. Kuriachan, said that registrations alone were close to 22,000 and there was additional last minute entries numbering more than 4,000. At one stage, the organisers had to turn back close to 2,000 participants expressing their inability to accommodate them. Of the total participants more than 16,000 were from colleges and 6,000 students were from Avanashilingam Group of Educational Institutions alone.

The objective of the marathon was to generate awareness about CRPF, the peace keepers of the nation, and also to stress the need to keep oneself fit. The marathon route for women and children was 8.8 km from Nehru Stadium to Nehru Stadium via LIC Junction, Avanashi Road (participants in the veterans and men’s category went through a 11.2 km route going via Lakshmi Mills Junction, Puliakulam, Pankaja Mill Road, Ramanathapuram Signal to join the other participants at Valankulam bypass road), Circuit House Road, Valankulam bypass road, Sessions Court roundabout, DSP office, Avanashi Road flyover, Dr.Nanjappa Road, Park Gate.

The organisers had positioned nine ambulances at vantage points to provide medical help to participants. Two girls who developed uneasiness were provided medical help en route by CRPF doctors. The organisers had also established 12 points for providing water and glucose to the participants. The spirit of participants was on display with even aged persons seen taking part with enthusiasm. Some of the students ran barefoot.

Men’s category had cash prizes of Rs 15,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively while women’s and children’s category had Rs 10,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 3,000 as cash prizes besides a silver medal. The City police had deployed adequate number of personnel en route for handling diverted traffic in addition to 220 CRPF and Rapid Action Force personnel who manned road inter-junctions. CRPF men on 30 motorcycles escorted the marathon participants. CRPF also had a live band accompanying the participants.

The band also performed during flagging off and prize distribution valedictory ceremony. The participants were provided with gift hampers ranging from sweets, shirts and saris. Even as the police tried to ensure smooth flow of traffic through diversions, between 7.00 a.m. and 8.00 a.m., as the marathon passed through Avanashi Road, Pankaja Mill Road, Tiruchi Road, school students and those working at manufacturing establishments and mills suffered because of road-blocks.

Autorickshaws, vans with school children and office goers were seen stranded at many places and though the police managed to keep one side of the road open, it only ensured a staggered flow of traffic. At the valedictory for prize distribution, national integration dance by students stole the show. CRPF personnel also performed a demonstration on unarmed combat, mob control and martial arts. Among the dignitaries who took part in the marathon, flagging off and valedictory included, Mayor, R. Venkatachalam, Collector, V. Palanikumar, Karunya University Vice-Chancellor, Paul P. Appasamy, Dr.Saroja Prabhakaran, President of the Tamil Nadu Athletic Association President and Former DGP Walter Davaram, Commissioner of Police, K.C. Mahali, Vice-Chancellor of Avanashilingam University, Shanmuganathan, IG-CRPF, Southern Sector, P. Mallanna Goud, Chairman of Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, Head Sales, Reliance Communications, Sainath Rajagopal and others.

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