The 6th edition of the premier running event, Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon 2018 is an astounding success

Sets a new milestone with a participation of over 15,000 runners Coimbatore, October 8, 2018: 15,000+ runners participated across three categories in the Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon 2018 held today. The city’s premier event had garnered the participation of people from all walks of life and this Sunday morning was nothing short of a festival. A buzz of excitement was in the air as an army of runners lined up at the start line to fight cancer, while being prepared to accomplish their personal goals and live some beautiful moments on the streets of Coimbatore. Despite the monsoon, hundreds of supporters and common people turned up on the course in the morning to cheer the runners and stand up for the spirit of Coimbatore. To huge cheers, the Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon 2018 was flagged off early today morning. The 21.1 km half marathon, which had 2,000 plus runners, was flagged off by Dr. C. Sylendra Babu ADGP- Railways. The 10 km run, which had over 5,000 plus runners, was flagged off by Mr.Sujit Kumar IPS, DCP Traffic. The 5 km run, which had over 8,000 plus runners, was flagged off by Mr.S.Murali, Business Head, Vodafone Idea Pvt. Ltd. Tamil Nadu. The race started on Park Gate road and later in the morning the prize distribution ceremony was held at Stanes School. The marathon route covered the neighbourhood areas and was fully supported by aid stations, hydration points, medical facilities, ambulance services, route markers, and course marshals thus ensuring a hassle-free experience for the runners. Timing chips were used to keep track of the participants and provide official and personal times. Dr. T Balaji, Managing Trustee of the Coimbatore Cancer Foundation, “The Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon has become more than just a running event. We are delighted to see the participants rise up the city and its well-being as much as they do for their personal goals. Community support is always crucial in raising awareness on a social cause and in this event, we have been highly successful in making the participants the ambassadors of cancer awareness. The event has given us more insights on utilizing the power of collective participation in our initiatives. We appreciate the support and encouragement from all invested in making this event a successful and meaningful one. The proceeds from this edition will enable us to reach out to many more in the community who need our services.” Mr.Ramesh Ponnuswami, Race Director said, “This sixth edition of the marathon will find a special place in our journey. The spirit of the runners has outsmarted the weather forecasts and other external factors. This moment provides an additional vigor to all the participants and inspires more people to take up running. We respect the passion and dedication of our runners and express our gratitude towards the people of Coimbatore, the Police department, the Coimbatore Corporation and several organizations for their continued patronage. Looking forward to seeing everyone again at the next edition on October 06th, 2019.” Results – Open Category 1. Half Marathon – 21.1 kms a. Men i. Rajkumar – 01:12:02 ii. Sankar PM Perumal – 01:13:01 iii. Sivanantham – 01:13:31 b. Women i. Soniya V – 01:32:22 ii. Prema M – 01:33:35 iii. Vasanthamani – 01:34:43 2. 10 km marathon a. Men i. Sathish Kumar M – 00:32:13 ii. Vijay Bebin Raj – 00:32:36 iii. Shiju C – 00:32:50 b. Women i. Sowmya S – 00:38:34 ii. Kiruthika M Murugesan V – 00:42:22 iii. Kiruthika S – 00:44:29 Results – Veteran Category 1. Half Marathon – 21.1 kms a. Men i. BABA. A – 01:29:35 ii. Mohamed Idris – 01:35:40 iii. Desan Nair K. S – 01:40:54 b. Women i. Kalai Mani – 02:01:04 ii. Meenakshi Shankar – 02:05:02 iii. Urmila Sushil Kumar Surana – 02:05:03 2. 10 km marathon a. Men i. Udhaya Kumar – 00:38:35 ii. Nanjundan K – 00:40:56 iii. Ubaid K.H – 00:41:04 b. Women i. SubhaLakshmy. E – 00:57:44 ii. Maheshwari Manikandan – 01:04:29 iii. Nalini K – 01:04:52 The Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon was brought to the city by Coimbatore Cancer Foundation in association with Coimbatore Runners & Show Space Events. Prior to the start of the race all participants received a T Shirt and the finishers a medal. The Prize Money amounting to over Rs.2.65 Lakhs was presented to the winners. The prize money for the open category for men & women for 21.1 km run was Rs. 25,000, 15,000 & 10,000 respectively for the first, second and third place holders, while for the top three places in the 10km category the prize money was Rs. 15,000, Rs.10,000&Rs. 5,000respectively. The prize money for the veteran category for men & women for 21.1 km run was Rs. 10,000, 7,500& 5,000respectively for the first, second and third place holders, while for the top three places in the 10km category the prize money was Rs. 10,000, Rs.7,500 & Rs.5,000respectively. The Marathon is an annual event and is held during the first Sunday of October every year.