The first Federal Bank Kochi Marathon, the city’s first 42.195km run with prize money, will be held on May 1.
Apart from the main event, there will be a half marathon, a 10-km event, and a 3km green run which hopes to attract colleges, housing societies, institutions, and women’s groups in big numbers.
The marathons held earlier in the city did not have any prize money but the Kochi Marathon, which has Federal Bank as its title sponsor and which will be organised by CleoSportz, will carry a total prize fund of Rs 10 lakh. The organisers hope to rope in some of the national stars for the event.
Kerala High Court Judge Devan Ramachandran released the marathon’s logo and Kochi Metro Rail Limited’s MD Loknath Behera was presented the first bib of the event by Kochi City Police Commissioner K. Sethuraman.
Olympians Gopi Thonakal and O.P. Jaisha, also the national record holder in the women’s marathon, Federal Bank Group President and CFO Venkatraman Venkateswaran and Coast Guard DIG N. Ravi were among those who spoke.
Organised in association with Kerala Police, the marathon will be flagged off from the Maharaja’s Stadium and will run through a beautiful course.
The online registration for the event is now open at www.kochimarathon.in.