FIT Gurugram Marathon Starts at Cyber Hub on Sunday

GURUGRAM: The FIT Gurugram Marathon flags off at Cyber Hub on Sunday, 4 October, with the half marathon runners setting off at 5 am, according to the organiser's race page. The run is an initiative of Fortis Hospital, Gurugram. The page bills it as a first-of-its-kind half marathon edition and as the launch event of a wider city health movement that carries the FIT Gurugram name.

Four distances are on offer: 3 km, 5 km, 10 km and the 21.1 km half marathon. Registration was priced at Rs 699. The page set 24 September as the closing date and now shows a notice that registrations are closed, so anyone without a bib cannot take part as a runner.

The race-day schedule is listed to the minute. The venue opens at 4 am and the warm-up starts at 4.30 am. The half marathon goes at 5 am, the 10 km at 5.30 am, and the 5 km and 3 km runs both start at 6.15 am. The route closes at 8.30 am, and prize distribution and the closing ceremony follow at 9 am.

Support on the route and what the page promises

The organisers say hydration and energy stops will be placed every 2 km, with doctors and paramedics on the route and ambulance support throughout. A free pre-race health screening is also listed. Every runner gets an official timing chip and the page mentions professional race photography.

At the finish, the page lists a medal and certificate, an event T-shirt and race kit, music and cheer squads, and what it calls a finish-line festival with food and wellness experiences. For emergencies during the run, runners are asked to save the Fortis helpline number printed on the page, 900 900 1050, before they reach the start line.

Cash prizes add up to Rs 2,00,000. In the half marathon open category, the men's and women's winners each receive Rs 15,000, the first runners-up Rs 10,000 and the second runners-up Rs 5,000. The 10 km open category pays Rs 11,000, Rs 5,500 and Rs 3,500 in the same order. Runners above 50 have their own prize lines at those two distances, and the age cut-off is the race day itself.

The page also bills the event as a run with Milind Soman. It does not say in what role he will be at Cyber Hub, so that is a question for the organiser.

Alongside the logistics, the page carries a short list of dos and don'ts that readers may find practical. It asks runners to warm up properly, drink water before, during and after the run, wear well-fitted shoes and pace themselves. Its don'ts include trying new food, shoes or supplements on race day, and ignoring pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.

What the page does not carry is a route map, a traffic advisory or parking arrangements for the Cyber Hub stretch, so anyone driving in for the early start may want to ask before leaving home. The FIT Gurugram office is at Sector 44, opposite HUDA City Centre, and lists 088600 22554 and info@fitgurugram.com. The marathon page gives support@coachravinder.com for registration queries.

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