Navy marathon draws massive crowd in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Over 19,000 enthusiastic runners and citizens from various walks of life participated in the sixth edition of Navy Marathon, the much sought-after event, organised by the Eastern Naval Command here on Sunday along the coast of Bay of Bengal.

The enthusiastic runners from several cities along with Visakhapatnam assembled at the venue to take part in the marathon that was held in four different categories – 42.2-km courage run, 21.1-km destiny run, 10-km friendship run and 5-km run for fun respectively.

Starting from Vishwapriya Function Hall, the run focused on the theme 'Reduce – Reuse – Recycle,' and encourage denizens to stick to their fitness regimen and contribute to 'Fit India' movement.

The event saw a tremendous response from all walks of life. Participants from all age groups, children with parents, veterans, youth, naval personnel, foreigners and students from various schools took part in the marathon that began in the wee hours of Sunday.

Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command Vice-Admiral S N Ghormade and Director General of Police D Gautam Sawang flagged of the run. The DGP appreciated the overwhelming participation of the denizens for the marathon.

The marathon was conducted in a hassle-free manner with the support extended by various departments, including police, GVMC, Tourism and district administration. Among other, Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust K Rama Mohan Rao, Executive Director of IOC Rahul Bharadwaj, among others presented cash awards to the winners of the marathon in various categories.