Standard Chartered N’Eliya Road Run from April 19

By Sarashi Samarasinghe
The Standard Chartered Nuwara Eliya Road Run, an open Marathon race event, will be hosted in Nuwara Eliya this season organised by Sri Lanka Ultra Distance Runners Association and Sri Lanka Red Cross Society under the patronage of the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka with the sponsorship of Standard Chartered Bank. The road run will commence on April 19 at Nuwara Eliya starting at 9.30 a.m.

The distance for these events would be 18 kilometres for Standard Chartered Professional Road Run, Men and Women; 10 kilometres for Standard Chartered Boys, Girls and Masters Run; one kilometre for Standard Chartered Family Fun Run and Wonder Years Runs; and 750 metres for the Standard Chartered Kiddies Run and the Fancy Dress. The grand total of all cash prizes would be Rs. 280,750.

The event will feature a host of international level race categories that will be conducted on the high terrain of Nuwara Eliya. It will also be a part of the Nuwara Eliya town’s seasonal festival calendar and already has over 1500 local runners, local students as well as foreign athletes signed up to take part.

The Standard Chartered Nuwara Eliya Road Run consists of races of nine categories such as Standard Chartered Professional Road Run Men (above 20 years), Standard Chartered Professional Road Run Women (above 20 years), Standard Chartered Boys Run (between 15 and 20 years), Standard Chartered Girls Run (between 15 and 20 years), Standard Chartered Masters Run (Over 40 years), Standard Chartered Family Fun Run (father, mother and one kid under 15 years), Standard Chartered Wonder Years Runs (above 50 years), Standard Chartered Kiddies Run (between 5 and 12 years) and followed with the Standard Chartered Fancy Dress (open event).

“We are hoping to bring long distance running in Sri Lanka up to International standards. Our athletes have the necessary skills and requirements but they have never been exposed to running at events beyond the annual Sinhala New Year Road Runs that happen at a local district level. We are hoping to make this event as big as the Mumbai Marathon which not only attracts a lot of publicity and tourist dollars for the city and but also gives invaluable exposure for the athletes,” said Deputy Director General, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Sugath Madugalle.

“As the Standard Chartered Bank we are proud in sponsoring such a great event as well as introducing the Sri Lanka Men’s Marathon team in the year 2006 and the Sri Lanka Women’s Marathon team in the year 2007,”said Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank, Clive Haswell.

He further said that he hopes to help the Athletics Organisations to make this a truly international event and thereby promote a sport in Sri Lanka that has not got a place it deserves for a long time.

President Athletics Association Sri Lanka, Major-General Palitha Fernando said: “I was surprised to hear that over 500,000 participants are going to take part in this event.”

The entries would be closed for this event on April 17 while all participant numbers would be issued from April 15. Entry forms are available at Standard Chartered Bank and at any of The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society Branches.