1,300 defy drizzle to take part in city Marathon

HYDERABAD: The drizzle on a Sunday morning did nothing to dampen the spirits of 1,300-odd runners who gathered to participate in the first Hyderabad Marathon.The event saw participation of people across all age groups and close to 400 runners from other states and cities.“A natural progression from walking is running.Running is the most inexpensive and invigorating exercise.To reach out to more people who enjoy running, the Hyderabad Marathon was conceived,” says Rajesh Vetcha, organizer of the event and a founder of Hyderabad Runners, started in 2007 to bring those who loved running in contact. The event is set to become a regular feature starting this year.The 42-km full marathon started from the Necklace road at 5 a.m and saw 225 participants covering the stretch from the lake to GMC Balayogi stadium at Gachibowli.Participants were divided into three categories on the basis of their ages.Sriman Narayan Rao was the oldest participant in the senior veteran category at 81 years and participated in the 21-km half marathon. Says BR Hariharan, a chartered accountant and 64-year-old member of Hyderabad Runners, “I started running at a young age of 59 when I ran my first half-marathon.I have got hooked ever since and participated in marathons at San Francisco, Athens and Gold Coast.” He won the third prize in the veterans’ half-marathon.The sport has gained popularity in Hyderabad with a steady increase in members at Hyderabad Runners.Those looking for a sprint range from techies, home-makers, civil servants to 16-year olds.If trends are an indication, the city of Nizams seems to be tying its trainers for a long tryst on road to health.