Colors Delhi Pinkathon, an initiative to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy lifestyle for women and issues like breast cancer, concluded its fifth edition in Delhi on September 17 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. 10,500 women across age groups participated in the VWash plus 3km, Optum 5km and Tata Salt Lite 10km multi-category run and 21 km categories. Flagging off the run was super-model, fitness enthusiast and avid barefoot runner and Pinkathon founder Milind Soman along with Mann Kaur, a 101-year-old woman athlete, and RJ Swati from Red FM who expressed their wholehearted support for the noble cause.
Colors Delhi Pinkathon received huge response from corporate sponsors such as Colors, Bajaj Electricals, Tata Salt Lite, VWash Plus, Optum, Reebok, Apollo Hospitals, Red FM, Bisleri, ICICI Home Loans, US Polo, Enthusionz and Bajaj CSR.
Medical Partner Apollo Hospital provided a medical tag for every participant of the Colors Delhi Pinkathon 2017. The medical tag will provide a free mammogram to all the participants above 44 years of age and a free medical examination check-up for those who are under 44 years from Apollo Hospital.
Bajaj Electricals is the partner for the Pinkathon in Delhi. Soman said, “We are excited to bring the Colors Delhi Pinkathon once again. We are confident the city will support us to make this run a success. Colors Delhi Pinkathon is more than a marathon. It is the seed of change and the beginning of a movement that is carried forward by a growing community of empowered women across India, who share a belief that a healthy family, a healthy nation and a healthy world begins with empowered women. The first step in empowerment is taking control of your own health, respecting yourself and understanding and celebrating the value you bring to your family and society. Empowerment is not a gift of society; it is a gift you give yourself.”
As a precursor to the main day, the team organised unique events such as Cancer Shero Trek. A Shero is a cancer survivor and this event is dedicated towards felicitating these inspiring people. Starting with a trek, this event felicitated inspiring cancer survivors honouring them with an “I Inspire” medal.
Reema Sanghavi, Managing Director, Maximus Events and Co-Founder, Pinkathon, said, “Besides Delhi, Pinkathon has already been held in cities like Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, Guwahati and Mumbai in 2017. The multi-city national event has received an overwhelming expression of support with over 85,000 women of all ages having participation in eight cities in 2016. This number is expected to cross 100,000 in 2017 with nine cities. The campaign will be supported by pre-event activities like training runs for baby-wearing mothers, first-time women runners and cancer survivors. There will be an extensive online campaign to reach out to the masses. We have also introduced the traditional attired cycle really and the fearless midnights run.”
In the Colors Delhi Pinkathon, 100 visually impaired girls and 50 hearing impaired girls participated in different category runs. To prepare them for the main day, unique training sessions were designed in coordination with the sighted runners. Colors Delhi Pinkathon inspiring partners Bajaj Electricals is organising special training runs in various parts of Delhi for the registered participants who have requested training for the main day. Pushpa was announced as the mascot for the visually impaired squad who will be the running the Vwash plus 3km category. Meenu Madan, a cancer survivor, was announced as the mascot for the Optum 5 km and RJ Swati from Red FM was announced as a mascot for Tata Salt Lite 10 km category run. They were presented with the first bib.
Raj Nayak, COO, Viacom18, said, “We hope Colors Pinkathon will add vibrant colours to the lives of all women participating in this run. Women have always been an integral part of our lives – be it at home or even at the workplace. Be it a businesswoman, sportswoman, homemaker or au naturel, it’s their values and instincts that drive the entire world. Women leaders form my backbone here at Colors, and play a major role in every decision which furthers our business objectives and goals. In fact, women empowerment is also a core philosophy that we maintain even in our bouquet of offerings to our viewers. We are firm believers of women empowerment and this association, with Pinkathon, is our way to say thank you to the women who strive to make our lives easier every single day.”
Soman also highlighted the concept of Pinkathon ambassadors in every city who are passionate, extraordinary, committed men and women connecting for one cause, health for every woman. Each Pinkathon Ambassador is a part of the core team and registers all the women in their circle of influence. Pinkathon inspires everyone that together, we will do more. Various initiatives are undertaken by the Pinkathon Ambassadors to connect with women across various strata of the society. ‘A Colors Delhi Pinkathon goes to School’ is another interesting concept to encourage mother-daughter teams to run together. The idea is to encourage health and fitness at every age.
Bajaj Electricals will be planting 1,000 trees to commemorate the Colors Delhi Pinkathon going green. The focus of the India’s biggest women’s only running event is to encourage an active lifestyle and overall fitness among women, while creating awareness about breast cancer and bone health and encourage thousands of first-timer women to take up running.
All proceeds raised from the event will be used for the expenses incurred in organising and marketing the event, and by the Women’s Cancer Initiative in its fight against breast cancer.