Large numbers turn out for the Hyderabad 10K Run

The participants head off at the start of the Hyderabad 10K Run

Close to 10,000 people from the city of Hyderabad braved the chilly weather outside to come and participate in the 12th Hyderabad 10K Run.

Most of the Indian athletes who participated seemed to be having their bit of fun while using the race as an exercise in fitness. The foreign athletes though, especially those from Africa, though made it clear that they were there to win.

David Kiptoo Kiprotich from Nigeria was the winner in the end.

“The atmosphere was fabulous and it was great fun and I would love to be back next year too,” he said while collecting the winner’s prize money of Rs. 10 lakh.

The run was also being held as a dedication to charity towards providing relief to the cyclong-affected villages in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Former All England champion and national badminton coach Pullela Gopi Chand, along with City Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma, flagged off the run.

Gopichand was excited about the levels of enthusiasm on display.

“You can feel a festive mood around the whole stretch. In a way, it shows we badly need these kinds of events,” he remarked.

Mr. Sharma too acknowledged the increasing popularity of running.

“It is always great to see so many people running,” he said.

Triple Olympian hockey player Mukesh Kumar and double Olympian Satti Geetha were also present on the occasion.