Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2020: Professionals from various walks of life gear up for the mega sporting event

New Delhi, Nov 20: The year 2020 has been challenging and pushed us to adapt to the new normal that the pandemic has thrown at us. But what we will remember is, how we all have emerged together from this situation and acclimatised ourselves to continue leading a normal life without putting our guards down against the virus.

The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon is all about celebrating the real heroes of our society, who have fought against odds to pursue their passion for running. One such runner is Mr Gopinath Mohan, aged 72, who is a retired Assistant Controller of Defense Accounts. Mohan, who is settled in Mysuru, Karnataka, is taking part in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon for the first time.

Mr Gopinath, who believes in the life motto of I Can, I will, says "I like to spread the benefits of running to the masses to motivate and encourage them to embrace this simple sport for fitness till life. I am 72 and by God's grace, my medical bill is zero. I have no ailments and if not completely, I think partially it is because I've made running a part of my lifestyle. This year due to Covid we have missed so many running events where people run together. Now with the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon happening, I must congratulate and thank the organizers for making this happen in these circumstances. Organizing an event of this stature isn't a joke and with the help of the ADHM app this year, they are ensuring that general runners too get to be a part of the annual race."

Fitness professional Gagan Arora who has been participating in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon since its inception believes that running is the mother of all sports, so anyone who wants to be fit and healthy should incorporate a few running sessions every week in their training regime.

When quizzed about what the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon means to him, he said, "ADHM is the race we look forward to every year, but this year is different from the others. I train people for strength and conditioning, so every year ADHM is like Diwali for runners in Delhi, and we look forward to the race. A great initiative is being carried out by the Procam team this year. Everyone can run from their own locations, and still get the rewards of being in ADHM, just like every year. There was a feeling in the back of my mind that something will definitely come up in November from Procam, and it's here now. Everyone is geared up and prepared well for the upcoming race. I hope we get a good result on race day,"

Software engineer Tanvir Kazmi who too has been running the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon since 2005 feels that ADHM is the best thing to have happened to her during the ongoing pandemic, and it is allowing society to get back to normalcy.

When asked about what the Airtel Delhi half Marathon means to him, he said "ADHM is my first running event, and it is something I look forward to doing every year. I can say I was fortunate to run the first edition as it coincided with my first year of running also, and since then, I have been fortunate to run all the editions of the ADHM. That's what inspires me to come back and take part every year. A lot of us take ADHM as a very important event in the year, we train for it for several months to perform our best, and once again it is allowing us to do that in these situations. So, that's a very positive thing."

While the Elite runners will be at the start line at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, on the 29th November, amateurs from across the globe will join them via the exclusive Airtel Delhi Half Marathon Mobile App. Participation this year will be from a convenient location, wherever you are.

Registrations for all race categories Half Marathon, 10Km, Great Delhi Run (5km) commenced on 30th Oct. at 07.00 pm and will stay open until 27th November on the event website, airteldelhihalfmarathon.procam.in.

Participants are urged to always follow the prevailing Government Health Advisory and Safety Protocols.

Source: Media Release