HYDERABAD: Hyderabad has always been a city with abundant heritage. The promotion and preservation of these heritage monuments is one issue that has gained magnitude in recent times. To promote the same and work for this cause of heritage preservation, the Hyderabad 10K Run Foundation and the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department have organised the Hyderabad Heritage Marathon, which is set to take place on October 9.This marathon is the first-of-its-kind in the country, which will take runners through various heritage sites of the city, not only with an intention to preserve and respect the heritage monuments, but also to bring about awareness on distance-running, with an emphasis on fitness. The marathon will cover famous heritage locations like the Chowmahalla palace, Charminar, Jama Masjid, High Court, Osmania Hospital, Mozamjahi Market, Public Gardens and AP Legislative Assembly, Ravindra Bharati, Hussain Sagar, Secretariat, Taramati Baradari, Golconda Fort and Qutub Shahi Tombs. The run has been measured and accredited by Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS), and is only for runners above 18 years, who are essentially medically fit. The run consists of a marathon and half-marathon, which stretch up to 42.195 kms and 21.152 kms respectively. D Suresh Babu, a popular Tollywood producer and the president of the Hyderabad Heritage Marathon committee, said,” This is a different from the 10K run. The marathon is a more serious sporting event for a cause. Apart from heritage conservation, this is also for the runners to experience history in their every step.”The race starts at 5 am from Chowmahalla palace and concludes at Qutub Shahi tombs. To register for the marathon, one should visit www.hyderabadheritagemarathon.com, download the form, fill in all the details, at a registration fee of `600. Once the registration is complete, a confirmation number will be given and details of the venue and the date for the collection of the kit will be informed. The kit will consist of Rfid chip, a T-shirt and a bib.Every runner has to tie the chip to their shoe lace during the course of the run, which will help record the timings. In addition to the run, to bring in runners from different states, the committee has also organised inter-state marathon and half-marathon competitions. A team of six runners from one state will be considered as a team, who will be awarded points. The team with the highest number of points will win the competition. Uma Prasad Chigurupati, who along with her husband has ran seven marathons in seven different continents is the convener of the committee. She said, “We have made an early announcement, since people who are willing to participate can be prepared and fit in the meantime.”Other members who have extended their support for the event are Pullela Gopichand, Dinaz Vervetwala, Prof Adrian Kennedy, managing director, Wellness Apollo and Bosco Malapatti. “The registration for the run has been started already, and further instructions will be subsequently posted on the website,” said Suresh Babu.
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