<p>It was a carnival atmosphere at the Sunfeast World 10K at the Sree Kanteerava stadium on Sunday. The sound of drums, trumpets, enthusiastic runners, anchors hitting dizzying decibel levels and announcements, along with occasional motivational speeches from Kannada cine actor Ganesh and American sprinter Shawn Crawford, echoed through the stadium even as the number of runners entering the stadium swelled by the second.<br />The Majja (fun) run had its share of costume-clad runners, but the Afro-sporting Shirshank and Bob Marley-inspired Lionel, who wore a Rastafarian cap with flowing dreadlocks, drew a lot of attention.</p>.<p>“I ran this event last year but this is Lionel’s first time here. We enjoyed the event very much and certainly will come again next year. We ran for peace and our costumes were inspired by Bob Marley,” said Microsoft employee Shirshank.<br /><br />The run had more than its usual share of people who defy all odds to make a mark, who instill hope in millions and who run to show the world that they are ‘just ordinary people doing extraordinary things to be accepted as an equal part of the society’. <br /><br />The wheelchair event sent a wave of compassion through the stadium and many were reduced to tears by the end. “I met with an accident six years ago and I’ve been on this wheelchair since then,” said automobile engineer Prakash Kumar. “I have seen the society look at me when I was able-bodied and I see it looking at me now. It hurts. How they treat us is very wrong. I only hope they will one day realise we have a heart too.”<br />Bhool Singh, one of the top finishers in the category, said: “This is a very good event and I think they should conduct it, no matter what happens. People finally realise that we are just like them. We might not be able to function as well as all of them but I think given a chance, we can come close.”<br /><br />A number of corporate entities played an active part in the Bangalore Cares project, and encouraged their employees to participate.<br /><br />“I ran last year as well but this year, I thought we should have more people running and enjoying it,” said Wim Elfrink, Chief Globalisation Officer of Cisco Systems.. “It is for a cause and I hope we are doing enough. Running is something everyone needs to bring into their daily routine and balance life around it to stay happy.” <br /><br />Some serious running, charity, fun, games, heart-wrenching moments, NGOs, corporates and innumerable cops made the third edition of the gala event a big success, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) sanctions notwithstanding.</p>
<p>It was a carnival atmosphere at the Sunfeast World 10K at the Sree Kanteerava stadium on Sunday. The sound of drums, trumpets, enthusiastic runners, anchors hitting dizzying decibel levels and announcements, along with occasional motivational speeches from Kannada cine actor Ganesh and American sprinter Shawn Crawford, echoed through the stadium even as the number of runners entering the stadium swelled by the second.<br />The Majja (fun) run had its share of costume-clad runners, but the Afro-sporting Shirshank and Bob Marley-inspired Lionel, who wore a Rastafarian cap with flowing dreadlocks, drew a lot of attention.</p>.<p>“I ran this event last year but this is Lionel’s first time here. We enjoyed the event very much and certainly will come again next year. We ran for peace and our costumes were inspired by Bob Marley,” said Microsoft employee Shirshank.<br /><br />The run had more than its usual share of people who defy all odds to make a mark, who instill hope in millions and who run to show the world that they are ‘just ordinary people doing extraordinary things to be accepted as an equal part of the society’. <br /><br />The wheelchair event sent a wave of compassion through the stadium and many were reduced to tears by the end. “I met with an accident six years ago and I’ve been on this wheelchair since then,” said automobile engineer Prakash Kumar. “I have seen the society look at me when I was able-bodied and I see it looking at me now. It hurts. How they treat us is very wrong. I only hope they will one day realise we have a heart too.”<br />Bhool Singh, one of the top finishers in the category, said: “This is a very good event and I think they should conduct it, no matter what happens. People finally realise that we are just like them. We might not be able to function as well as all of them but I think given a chance, we can come close.”<br /><br />A number of corporate entities played an active part in the Bangalore Cares project, and encouraged their employees to participate.<br /><br />“I ran last year as well but this year, I thought we should have more people running and enjoying it,” said Wim Elfrink, Chief Globalisation Officer of Cisco Systems.. “It is for a cause and I hope we are doing enough. Running is something everyone needs to bring into their daily routine and balance life around it to stay happy.” <br /><br />Some serious running, charity, fun, games, heart-wrenching moments, NGOs, corporates and innumerable cops made the third edition of the gala event a big success, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) sanctions notwithstanding.</p>
