Surat Night Marathon Supports Noble Causes; Organised by Destiny Group

by EVENTFAQS Bureau Entertainment | April 23, 2018 | News

The Surat Night Marathon 2018 was organised and managed by Destiny Group at DRB Marathon Ground, VIP Road, Surat on March 24, 2018. The event was the 5th edition of the annual night marathon witnessed by the city. The main motive behind the event was the support for and promotion of multiple noble causes like 'Beti Bachchao Beti Padhao', 'Donate Life (Organ Donation)', and 'Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan'.

Initially scheduled to take place on February 24, the event was postponed by a month to March 24, as security protocol on Shri Narendra Modi's arrival at Surat on February 25, 2018 forbade events of the magnitude. Building the interest and hype around the event were many pre-events which commenced right from January: Pet Run (350 Pets), Cycle Rally (450 Cyclists), KG Fitness Roadies (550 Participants), Walkathon for organ donations awareness (3000 Participants), and Kids Marathon (1500 Participants). The final EXPO was held from March 22 to March 24, 2018 and witnessed participation from over 700 runners.

The event was flagged off by Smt. Ashmita Shiroya, Mayor of Surat in company with police officials and dignitaries of Surat city. The participants began to assemble on the marathon venue from 5.00 PM onwards depending on which segment of the marathon they would be a part of; right from a special marathon for the specially abled to a marathon promoted by organisations for people with disorders or illnesses. Elite International runners from Kenya and Ethiopia also ran alongside Indian runners. There were around 27 pacers in each of the categories. The traces lasted through the night and finished at 3.30 AM on March 25, 2018.

The winners were awarded a total prize money of Rs.14.64 lakhs.

The route was decorated with different facilities like 21 water stations along with 17 energy drink stalls to keep the runners fuelled up. Additionally, there were also 14 medical stations set up en route along with 12 ambulances with a skilled team of physiotherapists doctors to handle any medical emergencies. A special team of doctors and physiotherapists was ready at the finish point in a temporary ICU to deal with untoward emergencies during the run.

During the event, the energy drink was sponsored by Merck with the overall event and medals sponsored by GTPL Hathway Ltd. The apparel (t-shirt) partner for the marathon was Muan Jewels with Luthra Group Of companies sponsoring the bibs. There was also a goodie bag for participants by DRB Ravani Group. The management for the overall event was done with the support of over 2200 volunteers and Agrawal Vikas Trust.

For entertainment, the marathon saw 10 entertainment stations with bands of Vohra Samaj, local DJs, and Folk dances to encourage runners. There were also performances on stage in holding area, opening with ASCIS and KG Fitness, a special warm-up session by Mr. Vipul and his group and others.

Talking about the event, Chirag Shah, Director, Destiny Group said, "We managed to overcome all the challenges and make the event a grand success. The end moment date shift did throw us off but we made sure to double our efforts and despite the changes, the experience for the participants was top notch. The participants were completely satisfied with the arrangements right from the concept, the management to the entertainment and there is nothing more that brought us joy. We look forward to a bigger, better, more intensive next marathon edition."