Cyber city comes alive as runners hit the streets amid pandemic

For the first time in over 10 months, runners in the city had a reason to cheer as Hyderabad staged its first major run during the pandemic. More than thousand people turned up at the crack of dawn to take part in the 5K and 10K runs respectively that began at the Durgam Cheruvu Cable Bridge near Hitec City . Participants were given sanitisers and were advised to maintain physical distance from fellow runners as people from all walks of life turned up and embraced the new normal.

Rajitha Kumari, a software engineer from the city, tells us, “I’ve sorely missed these runs over the past 10 months and it feels great to be able to do it again. Participants were released in batches as a safety precaution keeping the Covid-19 pandemic in mind. We felt safe and had a great run. The added advantage was that it took place on the cable bridge, making it a very scenic run.”Nikhil, a fitness enthusiast, adds, “It’s important to pay attention to fitness, especially during the pandemic where many are working from home and lead sedentary lifestyles. Participating in runs like this is just the tonic you need to kick-start the new week.”

06:00 am: The 5K run kicked off as early as 6 in the morning on Sunday as hundreds showed up for the run. The 10K run started at 6:30 am : 1000+: More than thousand participants from across the city turned up for the marathon

Safety first!: City’s first marathon in pandemic era took place with Covid guidelines in place. Participants were released in batches, were given sanitisers and were advised to maintain social distance