Over 7,300 participants took part in the ‘Tiruchi Marathon- Run for Your Heart’ organised by Kauvery Hospital in association with The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Young Indians (Yi) Tiruchi Chapter on the occasion of World Heart Day in the city on Sunday morning.
The marathon was organised to spread awareness about prevention of heart disease and to emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle. District Collector S. Sivarasu and Deputy Commissioner of Police A. Myilvaganan flagged off the run which was conducted in eight categories. The participants had the option of running for five kms or 10 kms.
Speaking at the event, D. Senguttuvan, Executive Director of Kauvery Hospital, Tiruchi said that heart disease is the biggest killer in urban India today. “This marathon isn’t only about running – it intends to bring people together and motivate the community to take necessary possible steps towards a healthy heart. While we would encourage everyone to run, we also believe that it’s necessary to create awareness among people about the risk of heart disease if they do not adopt healthier lifestyles,” he said.
Commissioner of Police A. Amalraj handed over prizes to winners selected by the Tiruchi District Athletics Association.
Meanwhile, the Rotary Club of Tiruchi organised a cardiac awareness lecture delivered by Senthilkumar Nallusamy, Chief Cardiologist, Rana Hospital and a screening camp at Uzhlavar Sandhai. Dr. Nallusamy explained the theme of this year’s World Heart Day – My Heart Your Heart. He abbreviated the ‘ABCDE’ of protecting one’s heart – A for Alcohol Cessation, B for Balanced Diet, C for Cigarette Cessation, D for Dhyanam(attention), and E for Exercise.
Rotary club of Sakthi and Citizens For Uyyakondan jointly conducted a medical camp in Alwarthope. Over 100 people, mostly senior citizens made use of the camp, which was led by students of the K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College.