Two Navy Officers On Mission To Run 4,431 Km To Raise Awareness On 'Staying Fit'

Two Indian Navy officers — Ram Rathan and Sanjay Kumar are on a mission to journey from the northern tip of the country to the southern to create awareness on health and 'staying fit'.

The mission titled 'K2K Run 2021' began on Tuesday, January 12, on the occasion of the National Youth Day and will end on March 8, International Women's Day covering a distance of 4,431 km in 56 days. The runners have embarked on a trip across 11 states and 91 cities.

"We decided to take up the run in the wake of COVID pandemic. Nowadays other lifestyle diseases, mental health issues and disabilities are on the increase. Our aim is to create awareness on the importance of health all over India," the duo said, reported Mathrubhumi.

The expedition is supported by Together We Can which is a Kochi-based advocacy group that works towards issues to child rights, disability, education, and mental health. Reports have stated that both the ultrarunners have prior experience at running long distances and have been covering around 80 km every day. They run from 3 am to 10 am covering 50 km and then from 5 pm to 8 pm covering 25-30 km.

Rathan who is originally from Rajasthan has run ultramarathons ranging from 100 to 200 kilometres, while Sanjay, from Haryana, has run a whopping 480 km from Manali to Leh.

"Although I had run short distance ultramarathons ranging from 100 to 200 kilometres, I had never considered the idea of embarking on a run across the country," said Rathan who considers his partner as his motivation for taking up the challenge.

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