IIT (G)'s annual marathon draws good supports from people of Guwahati

Over 1500 people from different walks of life participated in the Guwahati Half Marathon organised by Techniche " IIT Guwahati and UNICEF Assam on Sunday with an appeal to spread the message to address prevalent issues and help build a healthy, prosperous society.

The event started with the professional marathon of 21-km run in the morning at the ABITA Stadium followed by the 6-km run for the general public.

One of the largest events of its kind to be managed entirely by a student body, the marathon, organised to promote a better social and human interaction amongst the residents in and around Guwahati, has evolved coherently over the years since its inception in 2009 to become the largest half marathon in Northeast India.

The theme of the 12th edition of the 21-km marathon was "Run for Child Protection, Stand up with Youth4Suraksha". The event appealed to people to be a part of the change for the prosperity of society. It urged people to become more responsible for prevalent issues in society such as child labour, child abuse, child trafficking and cyber crimes against children, illiteracy, hunger and lack of development.

"Glory run, the flagship race of the half marathon, was a 21 km race meant mainly to quench professional runners; thirst. Participants from all around India participated in this category," it stated.

"Keeping in mind the vast participation from various walks of life, the Guwahati half Marathon was conducted as three events, including the glory run, spirit run and general championship," a statement said.

"Glory run, the flagship race of the half marathon, was a 21 km race meant mainly to quench professional runners; thirst. Participants from all around India participated in this category," it stated.

Spirit run was a 6-km race specially designed for the citizens of Guwahati.

"People from all age groups participated in this event, encouraging all citizens to come together and run a race for the cause. The general championship was an event exclusive for schools and colleges, where the battle was out for one trophy," it added.