Former India cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar did 10 push-ups, along with the participants of IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon, to raise funds for the families of the martyrs of the Pulwama terror attack here on Sunday.
The sponsor donated Rs 100 on behalf of each participant and raised a total of Rs 15 lakh.
Tendulkar was happy with the response. “I am especially delighted to see so many children participating. It is a very big step in life to participate in a marathon and not to be intimidated by seeing so many adults around. You are the next generation who will take over the reins of our nation.
“Our dream is to transform India from a sports loving nation into a sports playing nation for a healthy and active lifestyle. And if children are starting from here, things are going to get better and better. So well done Delhi, keep up your energy to run in the marathon. It is fantastic that you all are here with so much enthusiasm and energy,” he said.
Rashpal Singh and Jyoti Gawte won the fourth edition of the race by clocking 2:21:55 and 2:47:54 respectively.
Rashpal, who trains at the Army Sports Institute, Pune, said, “The weather was cool and I am happy with my performance. My target was to complete the race in 2:19 but I am happy with this performance also. We (best three) were running together till 25k and after that I took the lead and finished first. It was a challenge for me as we all have trained together and we knew it was going to be a tough competition.”
In the women’s category, Jyoti Gawte from Maharashtra said, “I am a regular runner and have participated in 15-16 marathons till date. Last year I was the runner-up and today I completed the run in 2:47:54. It is the happiest moment for me."
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