1,500 take part in third Kovalam Marathon promoting mental health and active living

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The third edition of Kovalam Marathon, organised by the Trivandrum chapter of Young Indians the youth wing of the Confederation of Indian Industries, was held in the state capital on Sunday morning. As many as 1,500 people of all age groups took part in the marathon that carried the theme mental health and active living. Young Indians national representative Tarang Khurrana flagged-off the marathon at 3.30am from the Kovalam Leela Convention Centre. The programme was conducted in four categories full (42.2km), half (21km), 10K (10km) and fun (3km). During the public function, Kovalam MLA M Vincent said that the programme promotes both health awareness and tourism. People from all walks of life from street vendors to technocrats, and from casual labourers to IT employees shared the same spirit, he said, adding that it is refreshing to see people of all ages becoming conscious about their health. District Collector Anu Kumari, who participated in the half-marathon along with her son, said that the marathon is gaining popularity with each passing year. According to programme organiser Shankari Unnithan, the last two editions of the marathon too had attracted 1,500 people. This edition also featured an accessibility run for specially-abled individuals. Participants expressed enthusiasm over the programme. Thirteen-year-old Nidhi Chandra R, who was one of the youngest participants of the event, said the marathon was pretty nice.