Beach Road comes alive with Vizag Marathon runners

Thousands of people enthusiastically participated in the fourth edition of the ‘Sandhya Marines Vizag Marathon’, organised by the Vizag Runners Society along the scenic Beach Road in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. According to the organisers, the event, drew nearly 10,000 participants from various age groups. Elderly citizens, seasoned runners, youth, women, and children joined the event with enthusiasm, making it a lively and inclusive celebration of fitness.

The marathon featured four categories—32 km, 21 km (half marathon), 10 km, and 5 km. The day began on a high-energy note with a dance and fitness session that helped the runners warm up and set an upbeat atmosphere. The 32 km run started at 4:15 a.m., with the final 5 km run flagged off at 6:15 a.m. from the MGM Park area on Beach Road.

Commissioner of Police Shankabratha Bagchi attended the event as the chief guest and encouraged participants to prioritise healthy lifestyle habits. He appreciated the growing awareness around fitness. Among the dignitaries present were—Mavuri Venkata Ramana from the CMR Group, Director of Sandhya Marines, K. Anand, COO of Apollo Hospitals, Dr. Krishna Prasad, GM of Divis Laboratories Pradyumna. Participants, especially the youth were seen enjoying the event as they ran in groups, took selfies, and shared their experiences across social media platforms.

In the 32 km women’s category, Vani Tamarana and Neeta Salame secured the top two places. In the 32 km men’s category, the first three positions went to Arjun Pradhan, Meshack Nderitu, and Kisilu John Muinde. The Half Marathon women’s top finishers were C. Priyanka, Puja Singh, and Sanghamitra Mahata, while the Half Marathon men’s category was led by Jagannath Pawar, Linganna Manchikanti, and M. S. J. Vedavyas.

Medical staff, ambulances, refreshment stalls were arranged along the route for the participants.