Dainik Nation News Portal
DAINIK NATION BUREAU
Around 20000 people including youths from various parts of country and abroad participated in Half Marathon, which was organized by Uttarakhand police to sensitise people about road safety and women safety here in Dehradun on December 17.
State DGP Anil Kumar Raturi flagged off the run while Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat distributed prizes among the winners. Cultural programme were also held on the occasion. Artistes Neha Khariyal and Kapil Thapa sang movie and Garhwali songs at police lines.
State additional director general of police (law and order) Ashok Kumar said that nearly 20, 000 people from 26 different states, 11 foreigners (Kenya, Ethiopia, France and USA) had participated in half marathon which started from police lines. Participants started reaching the venue at police lines at 6 am and ran the half marathon flagged off by the DGP. Eleven foreigners including seven from Kenya, three from Ethiopia and one from USA, ran in this event.
Police had made extensive traffic plan for this event. Due to this people face little bit of inconvenience but they supported the cause of run. The 21 kilometre half marathon started from Police lines, traversing through Race Course, EC Road, Rajpur Road, Canal Road and Kath Bangla and returned to police lines while the seven kilometres run started from Race Course, passed through EC Road and Survey Chowk before returning to police lines.
Along the route, volunteers, water points and medical facility were made available by the organisers. Kumar further said that half- marathon held last year was themed on fight against drug and fight against corruption in public life. “Enthused by its success, we hosted the same this year too with the theme being road safety and women security,” he said.
Results of seven kilometre male veteran was not declared as some persons had raised objection by stating veteran winners had run along with junior category participants who started the run few minutes before the veteran category run. The first winner of 21 km male category, Suresh Kumar, native of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) said that he is working in ONGC. He had also won first position in the last’s year marathon run in Dehradun.
He has been practicing for around two to three hours on a daily basis. In female category 21 km half marathon, Monika Choudhary, native of Lucknow, came first this year. She had also won last year’s run in Dehradun. Currently she is working in Railway department as Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE). Earlier she was working in CRPF. Second position holder in the 21 km run, Sisiria from Kenya expressed happiness over winning the medal said that she had booked her registration through internet.
