Hyderabad: The 13th edition of the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon, powered by IDFC First Bank, took place in the city on Sunday. The event featured three different categories of races: the 10K, the Full Marathon, and the Half Marathon. The races were flagged off from two different locations and all concluded at Gachibowli.
Over 25,500 runners participated in the marathon, including 50 elite runners. The marathon saw 12,000 finishers. The NMDC Hyderabad Marathon is notable for being the second-largest marathon in India and is recognized as a World Athletics Basic Label race.
In the marathon, Sheila Chebet and Hammington Kimayo emerged as the winners in the Elite Women and Elite Men categories, respectively. Among Indian participants, Ashvini Madhan Jadhav and Srinu Bugatha were the top finishers in the women’s and men’s categories.
The marathon rekindled a passion for running in India, drawing participants from various sectors, including corporates, PSUs, government entities, institutions, and the police and army. Thousands of locals lined the streets to support the runners, creating a vibrant atmosphere with music bands and entertainment along the route. The NMDC Hyderabad Marathon Course is officially certified by AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races).
The city embraced the event wholeheartedly, with residents cheering on the runners. Charity organizations and NGOs also took part, raising funds for 13 different causes.
The total prize money for the event was Rs 48,00,000, distributed across the three race categories for the top three finishers in both the male and female categories. The event was well-supported with 600 paramedics, 22 medical stations, 16 ambulances, and 12 bike ambulances provided by Care Hospitals. The Hyderabad Runners Society also worked with Google Maps to minimize inconvenience for commuters.
The marathon also focused on inclusivity, involving rag pickers in a significant role. They were responsible for collecting and segregating plastic waste, which was then sent to recycling centers. Their involvement contributed to a cleaner environment and gave them a sense of pride in participating in such an important community event.
The marathon was flagged off by several notable guests, including Kothakota Srinivas Reddy, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad City, Jayapal Reddy, Executive Director of NMDC, Naarayan T.V., Chief Marketing Officer of IDFC FIRST Bank, and Rajesh Vetcha, Race Director of the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2024.
In his address during the flag-off, K Srinivas Reddy emphasized the importance of an active lifestyle and expressed his support for hosting more such large-scale events in the future, with the police always ready to assist.
The 10K Run was flagged off by Jaipal Reddy, Executive Director of NMDC, Joel Davis, Joint Commissioner of Cyberabad Police, Nirish Lalan, Head of Branch Banking South at IDFC FIRST Bank, T V Naarayan, CMO of IDFC First Bank, Nikhat Zareen, Olympian and two-time World Boxing Champion, Abhijeet Madnurkar, President of Hyderabad Runners, and Murli Nanapneni, Vice President of Hyderabad Runners.
The Hyderabad Runners Society expressed gratitude for the active support from the Government of Telangana, GHMC, Sports Authority, sponsors, partners, and over 3,500 volunteers who played a crucial role in the smooth execution of the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon.
The prize distribution ceremony took place at GMC Balayogi Stadium, Gachibowli, where Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy presented the awards to the elite athletes and other winners. The ceremony was attended by several distinguished guests, including Sridhar Babu, Minister of IT, Government of Telangana, Shiva Sena Reddy, Chairman of the Sports Authority of Telangana, Jayapal Reddy, Executive Director of NMDC, Naarayan T.V., Chief Marketing Officer of IDFC FIRST Bank, Olympian Nikhat Zareen, Avinash Mohanty, Cyberabad CP, Cyberabad Traffic Police Joint Commissioner Joel Davis, Vineet, IPS DCP Madhapur, senior politicians, and others.
