Mumbai: Sixth edition of WNC Navy Half Marathon 2023 draws over 16,000 runners

The event was centered at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai

The sixth edition of the Indian Oil WNC Indian Navy Half Marathon was conducted on Saturday in Mumbai. The event was centered at Azad Maidan with more than 16,000 runners participating under the three race categories- 21.1 km Aircraft carrier run, 10 km Destroyer run and 5 Km Frigate run, an official statement said.

The event is one of the many outreach activities conducted by the Western Naval Command (WNC) as part of the Navy Day celebrations. The event has grown steadily since its inception in 2016. The event is one of the top five running events in the country and the second largest in Mumbai.

Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff was the chief guest and flagged off the Destroyer run at 6.30 am. The Aircraft Carrier run was flagged off by Vice Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command at 5.30 am. The Frigate run was flagged off by Vice Adm Sanjay Bhalla, Chief of Staff WNC at 7.30 am, the official statement said.

The Indian Navy and IOCL gave the participants a race day experience to remember. Each participant received a high-quality t-shirt and race category-specific finisher's medal with a 3D inscription of the respective class of ship in addition to abundant hydration, nutrition, medical, and recovery support. The proactive support of Mumbai Police, BMC, BEST, and Railways gave the participants an enriching race experience, the official statement said.

This year's Marathon carried the message of ‘Clean Coasts and Clean Sea Make Healthy Lives' and laid special emphasis on reducing the carbon footprint during the conduct of the event.

Mr Jagdish and Mr Jagannath Pawar stood first in the male category of 21 K and 10 K runs respectively. Miss Leena Bhatt & Miss Kateshiya Neeta stood first in the female category of 21 K and 10 K runs respectively, the official statement said.

Vice Admiral DK Tripathi expressed his extreme delight on the occasion and stated that the race is organised to promote fitness, health, and camaraderie and strengthen the connection between the Navy and the city of Mumbai, it said.