Puri: The Bhubaneswar Cycling and Adventure Club (BCAC) organized its flagship event, the 4th edition of the Puri Beach Marathon, on December 8, 2024.
The Puri Beach Marathon 2024 was inaugurated at Samuka Beach in Puri at the sea mouth of the Mangala River by Sanjeeb Panda, IPS, Additional DGP and President of BC, along with Ajay Kumar Nanda, of BCAC, in the morning.
This witnessed massive participation, with over, 80 women, from various parts of the country and from countries such as Ethiopia Kenya, and the UK.
The runners arrived well ahead of the starting time at the designated area and collected their kits from the assigned.
The Puri Marathon featured two types of running courses. The Half-Marathon course was designed as a return route of .55 kilometres from Samuka Beach at Mangala River Sea Mouth to Bali Harachandi Beach and back. Participants in the 7-kilometer fun run started from the same point, covering a distance of 3.5 kilometres toward Bali Harachandi before returning to the starting point after making a U-turn.
This Beach Marathon presented a significant challenge, as participants had to run on the uneven sandy beach surface, which varied in incline at each step. Despite the posed by the soft sand and uneven terrain, determined athletes showcased impressive performances. Accompanied by the sounds of and the cheers of the, the runners completed their chosen routes in feet and sneakers.AC provided water aid stations along the route every 3.5 kilometres with volunteers to encourage the runners.
BCAC has provisions for cash prizes totalling Rs 2 lakh for the winners and podium finishers. In addition to the prizes, participants received a specially designed finisher medal, event T-shirt, and digital certificates upon successful completionThe first prize of Rs 50,000 for the 21 km half marathon was awarded to Ashok Dandasena of Odisha, who completed the with a time of 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 25 seconds.
The second prize of Rs 30,000 was awarded to Panchanan Bera from West Bengal, with a time of 1, 17 minutes, and 29 seconds. The third prize of Rs 20,000 was awarded to Yosef Getahun Abebe of Ethiopia, who finished with a time of 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 46.
Sanjeeb Panda, Additional DG of Police and President of BCAC, along with Sri Siddharth Shankar Swain, IAS, Collector of Puri, and Sri Ajay Nanda, Secretary of BCAC, felicitated the winners with cash prize trophies. On this occasion, Sj. Sanje Panda announced that the Puri Beach Marathon will be made an annual event on the first Sunday of December each year, aiming to attract talent across the country and abroad.
BCAC expresses its heartfelt gratitude to all volunteers and sponsors, including Secuodsot, Woodland Odisha, and Jindal Steel, for the grand success of this event.
Committed to offering innovative and new experiences in the field of adventure, BCAC has previously conducted mega cycling events such as Vietnam to Cambodia, Bhubaneswar to Bhutan, Cuttack to Kathmandu, and Manali to Khardung La in the Himalayas. BCAC also organizes the Golden Triangle Cycling Championship (GTCC) on the second Sunday of February each year, demonstrating its commitment to enhancing the cycling and running culture in the state.