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one8 Run sees diverse turnout united by running

The one8 Run drew a varied set of participants - a couple running in their wedding clothes, a differently-abled runner, a few visually impaired people and many people in their 50s.

one8 Run sees diverse turnout united by running
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Uday Kumar, a differently-abled runner who completed the 10-km run

By

The Bridge Desk

Updated: 31 March 2023 10:46 AM GMT

It was a varied group of people at the one8 Run in Bengaluru on Sunday as the country’s first 18-kilometre run was flagged off by cricketer Virat Kohli.

Shivam Yadav (0:59:55) and Aradhana (1:11:23) were the fastest males and female runners for the 18-km run, while the 10-km and 5-km runs also drew enthusiastic participation. There were over 8000 people participating in the inaugural one8 Run, which is set to travel to other cities soon.

While the displays of athleticism by the top runners were impressive, what also stood out was how the one8 Run showed the power of participation.

Alongside the hardened runners, there were also 31 visually impaired runners, a one-legged runner who had come all the way from Kolkata, a lot of people in their fifties who used the event as an opportunity to continue their practice of fitness and some international participants as well. At the start line of the race was Virat Kohli, who also interacted with many of the 5-km run participants.

"Running by itself is something that can take care of your physical fitness and mental well-being at the same time," said Virat Kohli on the occasion of one8's first such running event.

One of the more striking sights at the run was of the husband-wife duo of Narayan and Sindhu running - in their wedding dresses!

“We are in our wedding attire but we haven’t been married recently, we have two kids. The reason for running in our wedding attire is to celebrate ten years of our marriage. We have also had some problems over the last ten years, we have put on some weight - I was 100 kgs, she was 90 kgs. From there, we have lost 24kgs each. Usually after wedding, we put fitness on a back burner. Especially for women, when you have kids, women put their health at the least priority. We want to send a message that fitness could be a family activity,” they said after completing their runs.

Displaying his willpower and how he channels it, Uday Kumar of Kolkata, who has not let his disability of having lost a leg take away his joy of running, said, “Running has given me a new life, it does not need me to depend on anyone else.”

Then there were the experiences runners like Aradhana, who has been part of every run organised by NEB since 2014. “There is great camaraderie within this group. This particular run was very exciting as Virat Kohli was here to flag us off,” she said.

What was also refreshing was the number of senior citizens who turned up at the run.

Bengaluru local Mohan, who did not run, but still participated, said, “I don’t run, I walk. I walked the whole 10 kms, that was always the plan. I have been walking since I was diagnosed as diabetic a few years ago, events like these help keep you in good energy and in good shape."

Ravi Kant, 52, took the one8 Run as an opportunity to run his first 10-km race.

“The mistakes that I did in my youth, no one should repeat. Everyone should keep their bodies moving when they are young,” he said.

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