From L-R: P Venkatraman of YouTooCanRun and Race Director; Ms. Binita Vora Marathon Runner & General Secretary of Mumbai Congress; MRCC President, Shri Bhai Jagtap; Working President Charan Singh Sapra along with Guinness Record Holder, Kranti Salvi interacted with media
After a hiatus of nearly two years, running feet will once again pound Mumbai’s streets, when the Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon Pink Run for women will be flagged off at 7.30 am on Sunday, February 27, and run on the iconic Marine Drive, heralding the resurgence of running in the city that sparked the running movement, which swept the entire country.
Around 6000 participants are expected to stand tall and make a symbolic statement of fighting for justice and their dignity when they line up for the Pink Run, brainchild of the General Secretary of the All Indian Congress Committee, Priyanka GandhiInd and spearheaded by Shri Bhai Jagtap, President, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. The event will be organized by the vastly experienced team of YouTooCanRun, led by P Venkatraman and will adhere to the highest professional standards, strictly following all Covid protocol.
This and more details were shared at a Press Conference on Friday, which had in attendance MRCC President, Shri Bhai Jagtap, Working President, Shri Charan Singh Sapra and P Venkatraman of YouTooCanRun; Ms. Binita Vora Marathon Runner & General Secretary of Mumbai Congress and Guinness Record Holder, Kranti Salvi.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Jagtap said, “It gives me immense pleasure to celebrate with the mothers, daughters and sisters of Mumbai the resurgence of the sport of running from our very own Marine Drive. Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon is not an event, it is a movement. Join us in celebrating this movement for health, fitness, empowerment, dignity, safety, education, self-respect.
“Mumbai Congress has brought the Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon Pink Run to the city to empower women and propagate Smt Priyanka Gandhiji’s message to women to fight for self respect, self reliance, dignity, safety, education, health and empowerment. Priyankaji wishes that every girl should fight for herself and achieve whatever she desires. This important message has to be spread through the Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon Pink Run, Charan Singh Sapra added.
The opening of registrations for the Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon Pink Run met with an enthusiastic response from the female running fraternity in Mumbai and its surrounding areas and in all probability will see a full house on Race Day. The registration fee is a minimal Rs 18, signifying the voting age in the country, and all participants will be provided with a T shirt, Finisher’s Medal, Digital Certificate and sumptuous breakfast after the race.
The event will have three age categories, namely 18 to 35, 36 to 55 and 56 and above and gratification will be in the form of Scooters for the three winners, and mobile phones for the top ten finishers in each age category.
Speaking on the arrangements and Covid protocol, Race Director P Venkatraman said, “The event will adhere to the best norms of ‘Covid Appropriate Behaviour’.”
Elaborating further, he said, “It was mandatory that participants, all above the age of 18, provide their double COVID Vaccination certificate to register for the event. Alternatively participants can submit their negative RT-PCR Report. Social distancing would be ensured at all times and each participant would have to go through physical scanning from the thermal scanner and sanitize themselves.”
All volunteers and event crew are trained to maintain and ensure that participants adhere to all Covid protocol, he added.
A further protection shield will be provided by B W Hygiene Services, a company that provides Nanotech based proprietary surface sanitization. The entire holding area and course would be sanitized as per international standards and Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) microbe counts would be displayed at key locations. Sanitizing stations would be set up at different locations to enable participants and crew members to regularly sanitize themselves. Besides this, the mobile phones of all guests entering the VIP area would be disinfected by passing them through a UV box.
The event will be flagged off at 7.30 am on the road opposite Pizza by the Bay, followed by staggered starts to avoid crowding. The runners will proceed straight on Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose Road (Marine Drive) passing InterContinental Hotel — Princess Streetl Flyover – Wilson Gym Khana – Charni Road Station – Mafatlal Bath Signal before taking a U Turn and coming back the same way, crossing Charni Road Station – Wilson Gymkhana – Princess Street Flyover – InterContinental Hotel – Pizza by the Bay and finishing near St. James Court.
The event will also have support from the running groups in Mumbai, among them Zippers Club, Fit Bharat Runners, Girgaon Runners and Striders, who will be manning the water stations, placed at every Km point on the race route.
All registered participants can collect their bib number and T-shirt from the bib distribution centre at Freemasons’ Hall, Damodardas Sukhadwalla Marg, Opp Sterling Cinema, on Friday, 25th Feb from 1 pm to 7 pm and 26th Feb from 11 am to 7 pm. On spot registration on first come first served basis would also be available at the bib distribution centre.
