Former India legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday flagged off IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon 2020 at the Iconic Rangers Ground here.
Kolkata Full Marathon 2020 will see runners compete in four different categories: Full Marathon (42.2k), Half Marathon (21.1k), Timed 10K and Fun Run (5k).
"This IDBI Federal Life Insurance Marathon in Kolkata has again been a success story this year. We have had good participation, around 12,000 athletes have participated. The encouraging thing is the women's participation is 25 per cent which is really good," Tendulkar said at the marathon.
"Also from our defence forces, from around 2,000 who participated last year, the number has gone up to 2,700. I'm really pleased to announce that. It is not about a one-off race and then you rest for the rest of the year. It is about what you do everyday, it is about changing your lifestyle, and people are slowly but surely are adopting new lifestyles. The whole idea is to have a fit, young, and healthy India and we are slowly getting there," he added. Runners from across the country and city have registered for the marathon. Organised by NEB Sports, the event has been certified by AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races), in association with AFI (Athletics Federation of India).