Sachin Tendulkar and Pullela Gopichand To Kick Off Hyderabad Half Marathon

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and badminton great Pullela Gopichand will flag off the Ageas Federal Life Insurance Hyderabad Half Marathon 2023 on November 5.

The Hyderabad Half Marathon, organised by NEB Sports, will be held in three different categories — 21.1K (Half Marathon), 10K and 5K.

Besides the Half Marathon, Hyderabad is also set to host the prestigious IAU (International Association of Ultrarunners) 50km World Championships 2023 on November 5, which will be held for the first time in the country.

The IAU 50km World Championships 2023, which is in affiliation with the International Association of Ultra Runners (IAU) and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), will witness participants from several countries, including the USA, Germany, Japan, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, and India.

It is only the first time that India will be hosting any Ultra Running World Championship. It will also have open category entries from World Master Athletics, allowing individual runners to participate.

“This is a historic moment for India, and we hope to create more excitement around the challenging but rewarding sport of ultra running. The IAU 50km World Championships 2023 will witness participation from top ultra runners across the world and we can expect a tough competition.

“It will also give an excellent platform for the Indians to compete with international runners at home,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said.

Nagaraj Adiga, Race Director and IAU Asia and Oceania representative said: “It is a pride and pleasure for NEB Sports to host the 3rd IAU Championships in India. We are confident that the vibrant Hyderabad community will support and make this event a memorable one for all participants.”

IAU president Nadeem Khan is excited about the first such event in India.

“After successfully hosting the IAU 100km Asia Oceania Championship in Bengaluru this July, we are extremely proud to bring the first-ever Ultra World Championships to India.

“We are seeing an increasing number of runners taking up this sport and through this prestigious event, we hope to further elevate the sport of ultra-running in the country,” he said.