Jazzed up World 10K in Bangalore on May 27

The leading distance runners of the world will once again train their eyes on Bangalore this summer, with the City set to host the fifth edition of the World 10K on May 27.

With attractive prize money and added features, this year’s run, to be sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services, has retained the IAAF Gold Label reserved for elite road races.

The race that has become a popular fixture on the track and field calendar will have an additional incentive for Indian runners this year, with the Nation’s Challenge segment making a return after a gap of two years.

Open for participation for state athletic associations and sports control boards recognised by the Athletics Federation of India, the segment’s winner will be decided based on the aggregate of the finish times of the three runners each team can field. The winning team stands to gain Rs 4.5 lakh with the runner-up getting Rs 3.25 lakh followed by Rs 2.15 lakh for the third and Rs 1.10 lakh for the fourth teams.

At the launch of the fifth edition on Tuesday, organisers Procam International also announced Puneet Rajkumar as the new ‘Face of the Event’, with the film star affirming his support in the efforts to promote the running movement across the State.

There will be seven races on the programme – the World 10K elite for men and women, Nations Challenge, Open 10K run, Corporate Challenge, Majja Run (5.7km), Senior Citizens’ run (4km) and Wheelchair event (4km). The event will have a total prize pool of US $170,000. The organisers also reiterated their commitment towards raising funds for charity through the event.