Shimla, September 29: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh graced the prize distribution ceremony of the 11th HP Police Half Marathon, organized by the Himachal Pradesh Police at the historic Ridge today.
In his address, Singh emphasized that drugs destroy not only homes but entire lives. He urged all participants and the public to stay away from substance abuse.
He praised the police department for organizing such events annually, which send a strong message about the harms of drug use. He also acknowledged the department’s excellent work and called on the public to assist police efforts by reporting drug-related activities. Singh congratulated the department for the successful organization of the event.
3,150 people participated - DGP
Himachal Pradesh DGP Atul Verma, in his welcome speech, highlighted the week-long awareness campaign conducted from September 22 to 29, 2024, reaching schools, colleges, and rural areas.
He shared that the marathon saw 3,150 participants, including army personnel, police, paramilitary forces, students, and senior citizens, all promoting a drug-free Himachal.
The marathon had three categories: the Half Marathon (21.5 km), the Mini Marathon (10 km), and the Dream Run (3 km). All participants received a T-shirt, and those completing the race on time were awarded medals.
Participants groove to Harmony of the Pines
Post-marathon, the Harmony of the Pines band entertained the crowd with vibrant performances, making the audience sway to their tunes.
Eklavya Kala Manch performed a short skit on drug-free Himachal, and the HP Police Brass Band also put on a show.
Winners honored:
Anirudh Singh honored the winners of the Half Marathon.
In the 21.5 km women’s category, Ruby Kashyap claimed first place and received ₹51,000, Arpita Saini came second with ₹31,000, and Carizo secured third with ₹21,000.
In the men’s category, Manoj Singh took first place, earning ₹51,000, while Rohit and Shiv Kundu claimed second and third, with prizes of ₹31,000 and ₹21,000, respectively.
For the 10 km Mini Marathon, Munni secured the top spot in the women’s category with ₹21,000, followed by Jyoti Bala with ₹11,000 and Raveena Kumari with ₹7,100. In the men’s category, Saurabh Thakur took first place with ₹21,000, Lovepreet Singh was second with ₹11,000, and Suraj finished third with ₹7,100.
The 3 km Dream Run was held in various categories. In the Specially Abled category, Trilok came first, followed by Dinesh and Yuvraj.
Among women aged 46-60, Sa Na secured first place, Veena Thakur was second, and Dr. Kusum Lata was third. In the men’s category, Tara Chand took first place, Upendra Kumar second, and Amit Gangta third.
In the boys’ 10-15 age group, Sawan finished first, followed by Vijay Kumar and Rudra.
Among the girls, Anamika secured first, Poonam second, and Priya third. In the women’s 31-45 age group, Hima Devi took first place, Pratibha second, and Himani Sharma third. For men, Shashi Bhushan took first, Sunil Verma second, and Mohit third.
In the women’s 61-74 age group, Neelam Sharma claimed first place, and Vidya Thakur secured third.
In the men’s category, Gopal Singh took first place, followed by Rakesh Thakur and Govardhan Sharma.
In the women’s 16-30 age group, Vipasha Verma took first, Nikita second, and Anshul third. Among the men, Shivansh claimed first place, Ashish Chauhan second, and Dev Vansh third.
Notable attendees included IG Zahoor Zaidi, IG Prem Thakur, DIG Rahul Nath, Gurdev Sharma, retired IGP Daljit Thakur, Councilor Vinay Sharma, senior police officials, and other dignitaries.
