Rahul Bose, Mandira Bedi Join Hands with IBVVMM
3 young athletes to be supported and nurtured by Indiabulls Home Loans; Battle Run gets bigger and better
by Suman Gupta
Mumbai, Oct 4: The 7th Indiabulls Home Loans Vasai Virar Mayors Marathon, to be run on December 10, 2017 will have actors and fitness icons Rahul Bose and Mandira Bedi as event ambassadors it was announced at a press conference on Wednesday. In attendance was Mayor Pravina Thakur, MLA Kshitij Thakur, Ashwini Hooda, DMD Indiabulls Homes Loans, Sapna Desai of Cigna TTK, besides Rahul Bose and Mandira Bedi.
Based on their performances last year, three young athletes from Palghar District were selected to be supported and nurtured by Indiabulls Homes Loans for a period of one year, it was also announced by Hooda. “Their entire expenses on specific diet, nutrition, training and kitting will be taken care of for a year, following which they will be assessed and basis their performance and enthusiasm for the sport, the assistance will continue,” said Hooda.
Diksha Ugale, Mayuri Sutar and Manoj Magan Govind are the three athletes from Palghar Distrcit selected to be supported by Indiabulls Home Loans. While Diksha is from village Saiwan, near Vajreshwari, Mayuri hails from Virar and Manoj from Vikramgad in Jawahar. All three athletes are young and talented, looking to make a career for themselves through long distance running.
In excess of 17000 participants across 40 race categories are expected to take to the streets on race day vying for a piece of the Rs 35 lakh prize fund, the richest for Indian athletes in the country, said the Mayor.
Organised by the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation and the Vasai Taluka Kala Krida Vikas Mandal and promoted by Aryanz Sports PR & Events, the Marathon gained National status in 2012.
Prize money for the Battle Run, India’s only dedicated competition for running groups has been enhanced to Rs 3 lakhs, with the winning team standing to gain Rs 1.50 lakhs, followed by 90,000 and 60,000 for the first and second runner-up teams. In order to make it a level playing field only for amateur athletes, cut off timings of 90 minutes and more for men and 105 minutes and more for women have been applied.
Speaking on the occasion, Ashwin Hooda, DMD, Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited said, “After a successful experience as partners at the IBVVMM marathon last year, we are even more excited to take it to greater heights this year. The IBVVMM is an extension of the Indiabulls Home Loans DNA to promote physical and mental wellbeing through the easiest sport for one to take up, running.
We are proud to be part of a true “runner’s marathon”, which not only provides a great running experience but also promotes Indian athletes towards greater success.”
Elaborating on their association with the event, Sapna Desai, Head Marketing and Communications said, “ Cigna TTK Health Insurance said, , “We at Cigna TTK are excited to be part of the Indiabulls Home Loans Vasai Virar Mayor’s Marathon 2017 as the official health insurance partner. Marathon training is all about living a disciplined, healthy and holistic lifestyle and is a great platform for Cigna TTK to drive our mission to improve the health, wellbeing and sense of security of our people. Indiabulls Home Loans Vasai Virar Mayor’s Marathon is immensely enjoyed by our runners and we look forward to garnering maximum participation in this edition as well.”
Meraki Sport & Entertainment continue as the Marketing Partner to the event with an objective to enhance the property in terms of both brand and consumer connect. Enerzal will be the Energy Drinks Partner, while Lions Club District 323 A3 will continue to support the event.
Online registrations for the event have begun and can be done from the event website www.ibvvmm.com. Physical registration for the event will begin from October 23 and copies of the registration form will be available at different locations in Vasai-Virar as well as partner outlets, whose locations can be found on the event website. Forms can also be downloaded from the event website www.ibvvm.com
The registration fee for the Full Marathon, the Half Marathon and the 11 km Run is Rs 700 plus taxes, which is the lowest in the country for a National level event, which offers participants the timing chip, personalized running numbers, finisher’s medals, free race photographs and hot breakfast post-race.
The race route will have adequate water and energy drink stations, besides cool sponge and orange stations. While there will be a medical base camp at the start/finish venue, there will be medical stations along the route besides doctors on motorbikes and ambulances at regular intervals.
