Most gratifying part is how it has filled up so quick: Hugh Jones on Kolkata 25k race

By Ujjwal Roy
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], December 13 (ANI): Ahead of the Kolkata 25K run to be held this month, race director and former British long-distance runner Hugh Junes expressed excitement about the event and said that the best part of the race this year has been the enthusiasm shown by people.
The 25 km (Kolkata 25K Run) marathon event will be held in Kolkata on December 17. Apart from the 25 Km Marathon, 10 Km, Anand Run (4.2 Km), Silvers Run (Senior Citizen Run) (2.3 Km) and Champions with Disability (2.3 Km) - have been organized for all categories.
"The most gratifying thing about the race this year is how it has filled up so quickly. We are up to the capacity. We closed the entries earlier than ever before. People have come back with enthusiasm after COVID-19. Last year, it was satisfactory, but this time, COVID-19 looks like a thing of the past in terms of mass participation. The course that we have is attractive, the runners like it, it covers different parts of Kolkata, it is varied," Hugh told ANI.
Hugh also said that it is powerful for people when they are standing next to world champions and competing against them at such events.
Vivek Singh, the joint managing director of Procram International, the organiser of the race, told ANI, "It has been amazing. The response from people in West Bengal and other parts of India is so great. We had to shut down registration on December 1. All categories were filled. It is a big thing for our state. Spectators sports are easy since we can take tickets and go to watch a sport. But one has to make sacrifices, changes in diet etc., so that they can compete in this race. These 17,500 people participating in this race have done so."
"All the authorities, be it the government in the state, police, municipal corporation etc., have played a big role in its organisation. World Champions are coming to Kolkata. It will be shown on TV. It is also an elite-level race of World Athletics. A big chance for Indian athletes to race and interact with the world's best. This is what helped India get 100-plus medals at the Asian Games," he added.
TSK 25K is supported by the Government of West Bengal, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Government of India, the Indian Army - Eastern Command and Bengal Sub-Area, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and the Kolkata Police. The event will be conducted under the auspices of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and the aegis of the West Bengal Athletics Association (WBAA) and certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). (ANI)