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Olympian Lalita Babar to headline Indian contingent at TCS World 10K

As the city counts down to the 11th edition of the TCS World 10K which takes place on Sunday (May 27), the race promoters Procam International on Friday (May 18) announced the Indian Elite line-up.

At the Countdown press conference of the TCS World 10K 2018 (L to R) Bhanu Pratap Singh, Cluster Head, Karnataka, Radio Mirchi; Dilip Jayaram, CEO, Procam International; Shekhar Sawant, General Manager, ITC Hotel; Dilip Jayaram, CEO, Procam International; Ramaprasad Viswanathan, Co-Founder- Friends of Lakes, Bengaluru and N.S. Ramakanth, Environment Activist

Bengaluru, May 18: As the city counts down to the 11th edition of the TCS World 10K which takes place on Sunday (May 27), the race promoters Procam International on Friday (May 18) announced the Indian Elite line-up for the World 10k.

The Indian elite line-up boasts of a complementary mix of recent champions and course record holders, which include Suresh Kumar (29.49 secs in 2015) and country's poster girls Lalita Babar and Swati Gadhave.

The registrations for this year's event for all other categories closed at a whopping 24,088 runners, with 15,200 participants registering for the Open 10K, which is an increase of 1,495 from last year's numbers.

The elite start will boast of 105 of the World's best track and road racersThe elite start will boast of 105 of the World's best track and road racers

Bringing color to the spirit of running in Namma Bengaluru on Sunday, the 27th of May will be 7,150 participants in the Majja Run category, 952 Senior Citizens and 486 participants in the Champions with Disability category.

Commenting on their association with the event as title Sponsor, Nagaraj Ijari, Vice President, Head TCS Bengaluru Operations, said, "Tata Consultancy Services is delighted to be associated as the title sponsor of TCS World 10k in Namma Bengaluru since the last 8 years.

"The run this year is special to us as it marks the 50 years of TCS and the 150th anniversary of the Tata group. We are proud that this has grown in stature and popularity and today it has become a premier event of Bengaluru. The race attracts runners not just from the city but across the globe."

Ijari added, "TCS world 10K is a great way to increase our engagement with the community, raise funds for charity as well as create societal awareness about the necessity of good health and fitness.

"At Tata Consultancy Services we encourage both TCSers and their families to participate across all the race categories. This year too, over 4,000 TCS associates, their families and customers will participate in the TCS World 10K Bengaluru while contributing to a social cause.

"TCS will continuously strive to promote wellness and a culture of giving back to society within the organization through events such as the TCS World 10K Bengaluru."

Adding to the fervor of this year's run, Dilip Jayaram, CEO, Procam International shared, "The TCS World 10K has through its eleven years of existence attracted the best road and track racers from across the world. This year, we are honored to have the World Champions headlining our elite line-up, a true testament to the stature this run has gained globally."

Continuing, Dilip Jayaram said, "I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the civic authorities for all their support in ensuring we are on course to hold yet another successful run, while the city is in the midst of transition. We extended our deepest gratitude for all their efforts."

This year's run will also showcase some of India's premier running talents including the current course record holder, Kumar who has won the prestigious title thrice and finished with the Silver Medal in the 2016 edition of the run.

Elite line-up to be headlined by India's best

Course record holder Kumar's main challengers include, Bugatha Srinu, who made the podium in his debut appearance at the TATA Mumbai Marathon 2018; local hero, Belliappa A.B ; Podium finisher at the TATA Mumbai Half Marathon 2018, Shankar Man Thappa and others that include Podium finisher at the Mumbai Marathon 2017, Sachin Patil, Karan Singh, and Govind Singh.

The Indian women's elite field will be headlined by the defending champion Saigeetha Naik (36.01 seconds), with challenges from 2012 Champion and the female half-marathon champion at the 2018 Guwahati Half Marathon, Monika Athare; Bronze Medal winner in the 5,000m run at the Asian Track & Field Championship, Sanjivani Jadhav.

Additionally, Indian olympian Babar as well as seasoned runner and Swati Gadhave, who has represented India's elite athletes all over the world will be looking to make a comeback this year.

Rajkot half-marathon winner Manju Yadav, whose spunk and surprises won her the half-marathon in Rajkot last year, along with Minakshi Patil and Dimple Singh, will make the race dynamic and fast-paced.

In-Stadia experience

Providing an incomparable race experience for all the amateur runners, apart from the warm-up and recovery zones, this year's elite runs are scheduled to commence post a significant time-gap from the amateur start times, allowing runners to complete their personal runs and return to the stadium to catch the World Champions chart new course records.

This scheduling, implemented from 2017, has proved to be one of the most exciting moments of the TCS World 10K experience, with the whole stadium cheering on the World's best athletes to photo-finishes.

This year, Thaikkudam Bridge, reputed for their expression of the social, political and cultural regime will perform adding to the festivities in-stadia.

Source: Press Release

Story first published: Friday, May 18, 2018, 21:10 [IST]
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