Delhi hosted its first shortest marathon – Run2Care to raise awareness about different forms of disability on 24th February 2019 at DLF Place Saket. The run invited participants from Delhi/NCR to cover a distance of 999 meters in 45 minutes was organized by Startup Leadership Programme in association with Those In Need and In For The Cause. Amongst the 250 people who took part in the marathon, more than 50 of them were persons with disability.        
One of the participants mentioned, “The event helped us uncover different types of disabilities which we unknowingly ignored for so many years. And when we witnesses people with them, we were able to understand the challenges faced. The takeaway for me is perseverance. I saw a girl struggling to complete the race but did it anyway and she has become an inspiration for me.’’ – Shivpriya.
The main purpose of the event is to keep the running tradition alive and engage people who do not take part in long marathons, thus discussing with them the 21 kinds of disabilities under the Disability Act, 2016. The event also included various engaging activities like canvas painting, act by Clownselors and an eye opening performance by Asmita Theatre group. First three runners and the last three participants were awarded by with medals and certificates.
A parent, Aastha Chadha said,“It was a great event with a commendable team effort. Good to see so many lovely, smiling faces. These kind of events motivates and inspires. Good job team”.
Abhishek Saini, Co-founder, Those In Need added, “We were really amazed to see Garima, a six year old special girl child, who fell down during the run but refused to take the short cut and completed the run with the help of her parents. This was a great source of motivation for everyone.”
The biggest success of the event was that the team could bring together everyone on an equal platform whilst keeping the competitive spirit of a race, and of winning one alive.
‚ÄúWe saw courage, enthusiasm and the willingness to share stories in a public format. It was encouraging to meet a young lady with Parkinson’s who was participating to spread awareness on the condition. Running or any sports event becomes a medium to interact socially which has been missing from the lives of persons with disability. We look forward to partner on the next edition.‚Äù – Madhavi Gupta, Founder, In For The Cause.
The event has set an example in the area of community sports that brought together people from all walks of life. It was the first, one of a kind inclusive, open to all sports event.
