Calicut Half Marathon 2018: The largest student-organized marathon in India
IIM Kozhikode organizes the annual Calicut Marathon with a vision: to empower people by creating awareness about issues plaguing society. The uniqueness of this initiative lies in using the platform of the marathon to spread awareness about the selected theme amongst the general public. With over 5000 registrations last year, Calicut Marathon is currently the largest student-organized annual marathon in the country.
After organizing the Calicut mini marathon successfully for eight years, the Calicut Marathon is organizing Kozhikode’s first ever ‘Half-Marathon’ on February 25th, 2018 which will see thousands of people running shoulder to shoulder. The theme for 2018’s Half marathon will be ‘Eco-Friendly Kozhikode’: aimed at creating awareness about living in harmony with nature.
The marathon has supported various social causes over the years with themes such as ‘Compassionate Kozhikode’, ‘Transforming lives’, ‘Empowering Women’, ‘War on Waste’, ‘Gift a Life’, ‘Road Safety’ and ‘Healthy Living’. In their quest to make society a better place to live in they have joined hands with many non-government organizations, corporations, educational institutes, district administration and civic authorities over the years.
The rapid urbanization of Kozhikode, coupled with the deterioration of air quality, have caused a series of environmental problems.The coastal areas of Kerala are facing various problems related to groundwater quality, lack of rain, salination, erosion etc which can be a threat to our future generations. Droughts in certain areas of the city, soaring temperatures and irregular rainfalls are some of the man-made natural disasters which can be avoided once the people of Kozhikode start adopting eco-friendly practices.
It is in this context that IIM Kozhikode and Calicut Half Marathon endeavor to bring about a change in the attitudes and behaviors of people and ensure an environmentally friendly city. Therefore, the Calicut Marathon aims to bring about a positive change in people's lifestyle through a variety of such initiatives in the days to come.
Interested runners can register online.