Over 13,500 runners to participate in the Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon
Coimbatore, September 25, 2017: The Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon is all set to captivate the city once again. This fifth edition of the event has a reason to take pride as it scales a new high with over 13,500 participants registering for the event. The organizers unveiled the official t-shirt and medals that the finishers will receive on the Race day which is scheduled to be held on Sunday, 1st October 2017.
· The marathon brought to the city by Coimbatore Cancer Foundation (CCF) in association with Coimbatore Runners & Show Space Events, not only celebrates the spirit of Coimbatore but also the benevolence of the city as it is held in aid of the CCF, a registered charitable trust dedicated to the counselling, care and support of cancer patients and their family members. CCF, founded on 4th March 1991, has completed 26 years and functions out of the cancer wards of G Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, Coimbatore.
Through the Marathon, CCF has increased awareness about cancer, helped provide early detection with the help of screening camps along with follow up care and offer counselling for patients and their family as well. Apart from these, in the field of palliative services end of life care, CCF offers hospice and home care for the terminally ill. Going a step further, CCF offers grief and bereavement services, helping people deal with their loss.
The Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon is recognized by the Tamil Nadu Athletic Association & the Coimbatore District Athletic Association. The marathon comprises three events, a 21.1 km run (half marathon), a 10 km Run and a 5 km Run/Walk.
Prize money amounting to over Rs. 2.5 lakh will be presented to the winners in separate categories for men and women. The prize money for the Half Marathon (21.1 km run) will be Rs. 25,000/-, Rs. 15,000/- & Rs. 10,000/- respectively for the first, second and third place holders, while for the top three places in the 10 km category prize money will be Rs. 15,000/-, Rs. 10,000/- & Rs. 5,000/- respectively.
In the veteran’s category, the prize money for the top three finishers in the Half Marathon will be Rs. 15,000 /-, Rs. 10,000 & Rs. 5,000/- respectively, while for the 10 km run the first and second place will receive Rs. 10,000/- & Rs. 7500/- with the third place finisher taking home Rs. 5,000/-.
Thanks to the tremendous success of the previous three editions, this year’s marathon has captivated the interest of the corporate world with a plethora of sponsors on board including:
· Title Sponsor – Vodafone
· Powered by – ELGi Equipments
· Platinum Sponsor – Elgi Rubber, LMW
· Gold Sponsors – Bosch, Lakshmi Card Clothing and Milacron
· Apparel Partner – 2Go
· Breakfast Partner – Madhampatty
· Education Partner – PSG Institutions
· Mall Partner – Brookefields
· Official Car Partner – Rajshree Mahindra
· Technical Partner – Netcon
· Wellness Partner – GKNM Hospital
· Associate Sponsors – Aqua group, Janatics Pneumatic, Lakshmi Ring Travellers, Prima Donna & T-Stanes
· Goodwill Sponsors – MAK Controls, Safvolt, State Street HCL Services & Trident Pneumatics
· Recognised by – Tamil Nadu Athletic Association (TNAA) & Coimbatore District Athletic Association (CDAA)
· Venue Partner – Stanes School
The Marathon route will be fully supported by aid stations, hydration points, medical facilities, ambulance services, route markers, course marshals & the finish area with refreshments, etc. Timing chips will be used to keep track of the participants and provide official and personal times.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Murali S, Business Head, Vodafone Mobile Services Ltd said, “As a value-based organization, Vodafone India is passionate about the Health, Safety and wellbeing of our employees, customers, and all stakeholder groups. This is the fourth year of Vodafone’s association with the Coimbatore Cancer Foundation. We are happy that this association has helped serve the community and supports efforts to spread awareness on Cancer- the vital need of the hour. The Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon has received approximately 13,500 registrations this year. We see this as a positive indication of people’s support for the initiative by investing their personal time and effort to run for a noble cause. Vodafone once again dedicates the Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon as a celebration of cancer survivors who have battled the disease and conquered it to live healthy, happy lives.”
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Balaji, Managing Trustee CCF said, “We at CCF are proud to be conducting the 5th Coimbatore Marathon, this has become an eagerly awaited event in the Coimbatore calendar. We welcome back most of our sponsors who have been with us in all our Marathons and welcome the new sponsors. The proceeds of the previous marathons have enabled us to launch new initiatives, strengthen our existing programs and reach out to many more in the community who need our services. The enthusiasm, joy and energy experienced by everyone who is a part of this wonderful experience is truly amazing and energizing. We at CCF, are grateful to Coimbatorians for turning out in such large numbers and running for a great cause. The success of our marathons is due to the tremendous effort put in by Mr. Ramesh Ponnuswami and Coimbatore Runners and the organizational skills of Show Space, the support from the Police department, the Coimbatore Corporation, TNAA, CDAA and the Coimbatore community at large. Please join us, run and celebrate life once again on the 1st of October and make Coimbatore proud.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ramesh Ponnuswami, Race Director said “It is with great pride that we approach the 5th edition of our marathon on 1st October this year. The response to our call for registrations have been overwhelming and we thank the people of Coimbatore and the running community from all over the country for choosing to be a part of this event. Our marathon is the largest sporting event in Coimbatore and also the largest sporting event in Tamil Nadu, outside of Chennai. There is no other event like this in Coimbatore that brings people from all walks of like and unites them on a sporting platform, for a cause. Our aim is to improve running experience and performance for participant’s year on year, set benchmarks for other running events to adopt or emulate, and continue to deliver a world class event to the City of Coimbatore.”