7 interesting participants at the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Marathon 2016
One of the biggest marathons in the Indian running circuit will take place in the City of Joy, Kolkata. The IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Marathon will be host to thousands of runners across five categories on 6 March 2016.The last edition of this marathon saw over 15,000 and that number should be greater for the 2016 event. The marathon is also an important event for all the hopefuls looking for a ticket to the Rio Olympics 2016, being an official qualifying event for the prestigious games.There would be five race categories ranging from the full marathon, which is 42.195 km to the fun run, which is 5 km in length.While there are many serious contenders for this year’s marathon, we list out some of the top athletes that will be not only be running for joy but also to promote the important of good health and fitness in this day and age:
#1 Kavin Kondabathini
Kavin Kondabathini has always had an adventurous streak about himself. During his school days, and even while he was pursuing college his focus strayed beyond the classroom to the track. Starting small with 100-metre races, Kavin never imagined he would someday touch 100 kilometres!
It was this bold, can-do spirit that inspired him to even try for the army. However, his family wasn’t too keen on this idea. He gave up his pursuit of the forces and began his corporate journey.
Not the one to give up easily, he began a 20-minute walk-run-walk regime and later joined a running club. When he was working at Capita in 2009, the company had registered its employees for the half marathon; they only needed to run 6 km. Kavin was so enthusiastic that he ran the entire race with minimal training.
Over the years, he has evolved as an athlete, turning his hobby into a full-time activity. He has run over 50 half marathons,14 full marathons and 3 ultra-marathons across the country and has taken part in National and International events.
His international career highlights include winning two Bronze Medals for India in the Duathlon and Half Marathon at the World Master Games at Turin, Italy in August 2013. He has also participated and represented India at the Mercantile Athletic Meet at Colombo in October 2014. Kavin truly believes anyone can run, and he spends a lot of his time encouraging budding runners to prove exactly this.
Kavin is currently associated with Reebok Running Squad, specialising in running training. He is a regular fixture at various running events as an invitee/ guest speaker and goes the extra mile to motivate people to move towards a healthy lifestyle through running.