Freedom Hyderabad 10K Run, one of the ‘Happening Hyderabad’ events on the city’s annual calendar, received a record response on a nippy Sunday morning with about 15,000 not just taking part in it but making it till the finish line too.
Conceptualised to promote running as a primary form of fitness, the 10k run was was flagged off by IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan and Municipal Commissioner M. Dana Kishore along with film stars Tamannaah, Rashi Khanna and Sundeep Kishan.
The run drew participation of people from all walks of life, cutting across age groups. The participants were dressed in colourful gear, displaying unbridled enthusiasm.
The top three finishers in different categories (men and women) were awarded cash prizes and all finishers received ‘finisher medals’.
Race director Murali Nannapaneni felt it was a wonderful initiative to promote sports, wellness and health for citizens. “The objective of the event is to create awareness about wellness. I am overjoyed to witness this run that is helping create a platform for celebrating Hyderabad on the world map as a potential venue for national and international athletic events,” he said.
P. Chandra Shekara Reddy, vice-president of Freedom Healthy Cooking Oil Range, which was the main sponsor, said, “This 10k run provided a much-needed platform to runners of all levels from Hyderabad, throughout Telangana and rest of India. We are very happy to see families coming forward and participating,” he said.
Raj Pakala, CEO of Events Now, was also present.