Kolkata Marathon
| Kolkata Marathon | |
|---|---|
 2016 logo of Kolkata Marathon | |
| Date | 1st Sunday of March |
| Location | Kolkata India |
| Distance | Marathon, Half-Marathon |
| Primary sponsor | IDBI Federal Life Insurance |
| Established | 2008 |
| Official site |
www |
The Kolkata Marathon (officially IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Marathon) is a marathon held annually in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was launched in 2008. The marathon is the largest in Eastern India and the only full marathon held in Kolkata.[1][2][3][4]
Organisation
"The moment they approached me for the event, I said, yes. Kolkata has a special place in my heart as I have spent many formative years of my life here. To see the event grow from the first edition to the ninth edition, in terms of participation and even awareness in the city has been an interesting journey."
-Leander Paes after becoming Brand Ambassador of 2016 edition of the marathon[5]
The marathon is authorised by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). For 2016 edition IDBI Federal Life Insurance will be the title sponsors of the marathon. The marathon is managed by the HighLife Management.[6] The 2016 marathon will also be an official qualifier round for the marathon events in the Rio Olympics 2016.[5]
IDBI Federal Life Insurance is the title sponsor for 2016 edition of the race. Indian tennis player Leander Paes is the Brand Ambassador for the 2016 marathon.
Participants
The race has five categories of competition. Along with the traditional full and half marathon distances, there is also a 10 km open run, 10 km corporate run and 5 km fun run for children. In the first edition of the marathon, nearly 6,000 runners participated; the number of runners increased to 15,000 in 2015.[5] Only Indian athletes are eligible for the prize money; according to organisers, the aims of the marathon are to provide a platform for Indian competitors and to promote athletics at the grass-root level in India.[1][6] In 2015, the prize money for the winner of the full marathon was ₹3.2 lakh (US$4,800), while 2nd and 3rd finishers were awarded ₹1.6 lakh (US$2,400) and ₹0.8 lakh (US$1,200) respectively.[7]
Course
The marathon starts from the Red Road in front of the Rangers club. The course then goes through the various landmarks in the city, including historic Park Street, Maidan and the Victoria area.[1][5]
References
- 1 2 3 "9th edition of Kolkata Marathon take place in city on Mar 6". Central Chronicle. 2015-12-24. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- ↑ Ians (2015-12-23). "Kolkata Marathon Scheduled for March 6". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- ↑ Sudeshna Banerjee @Sudsports (2015-12-23). "I am hungry to win another Olympic medal: Leander Paes". Sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- ↑ "IDBI Federal LifeInsurance announces Title Sponsorship of Kolkata Marathon – INDIAN NEWS & TIMES : INDIAN NEWS & TIMES". Indiannewsandtimes.com. 2015-12-23. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- 1 2 3 4 "Ninth edition of Kolkata marathon to be held on March 6". NewsX. 2015-12-24. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- 1 2 "IDBI Federal Life Insurance announces Title Sponsorship of Kolkata Marathon". EquityBulls.com. 2015-12-24. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- ↑ Share on Twitter (2015-02-08). "Lalji Yadav, Sajivani win Kolkata Marathon – Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
