Fourth G-Tech Marathon Registers as Kerala’s Biggest Anti-Drug Run
With over 10,000 runners, including IT professionals, government officials, and personnel from the defence, the fourth edition of the G-Tech Marathon, held at Infopark on Sunday, became the largest running event in the state aimed at raising awareness about drug abuse. In the men’s half marathon (21.1 km), Sonu Yadav of Jaipur clinched the title, while in the women’s half marathon, Chandrawanti Kumari of Nawada, Bihar, secured first place.
City Air News
Feb 15, 2026 09:10
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Kochi, February 15, 2026: With over 10,000 runners, including IT professionals, government officials, and personnel from the defence, the fourth edition of the G-Tech Marathon, held at Infopark on Sunday, became the largest running event in the state aimed at raising awareness about drug abuse. In the men’s half marathon (21.1 km), Sonu Yadav of Jaipur clinched the title, while in the women’s half marathon, Chandrawanti Kumari of Nawada, Bihar, secured first place.
Yadav, an Air Force officer, completed the race in 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 44 seconds. The athlete, who has previously participated in the Kolkata Marathon and other events, ran a marathon in Kerala for the first time. A regular participant in long-distance marathons over the past four years, Yadav has won numerous medals. Kumari completed the half marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 7 seconds. She is the wife of Sandeep Kumar Verma, an officer in the Customs Department. Kumari has previously secured first and second positions in the Our Run Marathon and the Spice Coast Marathon, respectively, both held in Kochi.
In the women’s half marathon, Sreepriya M V from Chottanikkara finished second with a time of 2:09:09, while Ramya T claimed third place, clocking 2:12:33. The medals for the winners were presented by Kochi Mayor V K Minimol, G-Tech Chairman V K Mathews, Litmus 7 CEO Venu Gopalakrishnan, and film actress Aditi Ravi.
The competitions, which included a 21.1-km half marathon, a 10-km run, and two 3-km runs, were organised by the Group of Technology Companies (G Tech), the industry body representing IT firms in Kerala. Participants ranged in age from 8 months to 97 years, taking part under the theme ‘No to Drugs, Yes to Fitness.’ Of the total runners, 33 per cent were women. Actor Arjun Ashokan and his family also joined the 3-km run to raise awareness about drug abuse.
