NMDC Hyderabad Marathon to feature 184 tribal runners

The 15th NMDC Hyderabad Marathon will feature 184 runners, predominantly from tribal communities, including bastar and nearby areas in Chhattisgarh. These runners, hailing from remote locations such as Bailadila, Sukma, Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur and Jagdalpur, will have their first large-scale city marathon experience. Six women runners are included in the contingent, trained barefoot on village roads and rugged hills around Bailadila due to limited access to proper running gear and organized sporting facilities.

The public sector enterprise, NMDC, sponsored their training and provided them with running shoes, kits, and other essential equipment, along with accommodation and transportation arrangements. The marathon is an opportunity to showcase and identify young sporting talent from remote and tribal communities, which has largely developed away from mainstream sporting infrastructure.

NMDC Hyderabad Marathon Race Director Rajesh Vetcha expressed hope that the marathon would give the runners confidence, experience, and perhaps a platform to discover their potential as athletes.