It was fun, passion on the run

The annual 10k marathon had the enthralling participation from over 21,000 people from various parts of the City, other states and overseas. 

Though the event had many traffic diversions, it saw no dearth of excitement. With a sheer sense of joy and exhilaration, the enthusiasts just took to the streets. 

“I am here with my two kids to cheer my husband who is running the marathon. He’s running the 6k Maja Run for the first time,” said an excited Jayashree Nagaraj. 

The marathon also witnessed a lot of enthusiasm by green organisations who made a mark with eye-catching outfits and huge banners advocating against the acts of ‘development’. 

At one corner, a person dressed in the attire of a tree trunk with an axe over his head caught the eye of many a passerby. Many participants also ran for what they termed as their ‘cause’. 

“We are running the marathon to promote a cause that will benefit children,” said Sheeba Rajan, a NGO volunteer. Many IT professionals ran to promote their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

“The money that we pay during registration will go for charity which is our main cause,” said Shikha Dubey and Rashmi R, IT employees.

A host of celebrities also made it through the race. The show-stoppers included business tycoon Anil Ambani (wearing the number 9999) and Sandalwood and Bollywood actors, including Puneet Rajkumar and Rahul Bose.

A Chetak helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) did the aerial coverage of the event.

There were 91 officers from Bangalore-based Air Force units who participated in the run, including Air Marshal PP Reddy, Senior Air Staff Officer, Headquarters Training Command and his wife. 

The cheerleaders, the White Mischief girls hired by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the UB Group cheered the participants at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

While some faltered through the race, others made it to the finishing line with a sense of accomplishment.