Lourdes Central School Organises a Marathon – Kudla Runs for No Drugs
“The music of a marathon is a powerful strain, one of those tunes of glory. It asks us to forsake pleasures, to discipline the body, to find courage, to renew faith, and to become one’s own person, utterly and completely.” – George Sheehan
Mangaluru: On the occasion of Silver Jubilee Year, Lourdes Central School, in association with Fr Muller Medical College and St Joseph Engineering College, organized ‘Kudla Runs for No Drugs’-Marathon on December 3, 2023.
The event was presided over by the President, Rev. Dr John Baptist Saldanha, and the Chief Guest of the program was Mr. Anil Lobo, Chairman, MCC Bank Ltd., Mangalore. Guests of Honour present on the dais were Mr. Somashekar J C, Inspector of Police, Mangalore South; Mr. Mahesha J, Deputy General Manager & Region Head, UBI, Mangaluru Region; Mr. Philip Vinay Quadras, Branch Manager, HDFC Bank, M G Road, Mangaluru; Mr. Manoj Nagendra, Regional Manager, Next Education India Pvt Ltd; Mr. Sadananda Alva, President, Master’s Games Association of Karnataka; Mrs. Sandra Maria Lorena, General Manager, Karnataka Bank, Mangaluru; and Mr. Lijo Paul, Senior Branch Manager, Bank of Baroda, Bejai Branch.
Rev. Fr Robert Dsouza, the Principal extended a warm welcome to everyone present and felicitated the president of the programme. Rev. Dr John Baptist Saldanha, Fr Manager, felicitated the Chief Guest of the program, Mr. Anil Lobo, Chairman, MCC Bank Ltd., in his presidential address. Also, Rev. Dr John Baptist Saldanha appreciated and thanked the sponsors & extended his best wishes to all the participants. All the participants gathered on the school grounds according to their category, & the jumba instructor prepared the participants with warm-up exercises before the run. Ms Gowri Ravi & Ms Lynette Pereira Compered the program. The convener of the event was Mr Henry Mascarenhas
‘KUDLA RUNS FOR NO DRUGS’ Marathon was in three categories:
Category I: 15K race, open to all
Category II: 5K race with the age group of below 15 years, 15 to 45 years, 45 & above
Category III: 2K Fun Run/Walk is open to all.
The Marathon started at St Joseph Engineering College via Lourdes Central School and concluded at Fr Muller Medical College. The Fun run / walk began at the gate of Fr Muller Medical College and finished at Fr Muller Convention Centre. A marathon run lasted almost two hours. The sponsors for the run were HDFC Bank, Union Bank, Karnataka Bank, Bank of Baroda, & Next Education India Pvt. Ltd.
The race was flagged off by Mr. Anil Lobo from Lourdes Central School at 6.30 a.m. The runners were escorted by the patrolling vehicles. The entire route was well managed by the volunteers and the traffic control.
The bystanders and the residents witnessed a brilliant show of harmony when around seven hundred participants ran gleefully in the 15-k marathon. The marathon echoed the slogan, ‘Run for no drugs.’ Rev. Fr Robert Dsouza, the Principal along with the teachers joined the marathon. The parents and students of LCS, in large numbers, supported this noble cause. Besides, the participants from the host institutes, the Fr Muller Medical College and St. Joseph Engineering College, also joined the marathon in order to express their solidarity.
The zeal and enthusiasm encouraged the participants to complete the entire race. Participants were gripped with a feeling of anxiety and nervousness, although some runners achieved triumph; others were still satisfied with their attempt to complete the entire marathon. None of the participants were injured, and the marathon was a success. They were duly encouraged for their participation, as the participants were awarded cash prizes, T-shirts, and participation certificates.
The valedictory program of ‘Kudla Runs for No Drugs’ was held at the Fr Muller Convention Centre ground. The dignitaries present on the dais were Chief Guest Mr Siddharth Goyal, DCP Law and Order, Mangalore City Commissionerate, Rev. Fr Wilfred Prakash D’Souza, Director, Rev. Fr Kenneth, Assistant Director, and Dr Rio D’Souza, Principal of St. Joseph Engineering College, Rev. Fr Ajith J Menezes, Administrator, Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director, and Dr Anthony Sylvan, Dean of Fr Muller Medical College, and Rev. Fr Robert D’Souza, Principal of Lourdes Central School.
The Chief Guest of the Day administered the oath to observe International Day against Drug Abuse, and in his address, he also urged the people to initiate many more marathons for a clean future and congratulated the participants.
The top finishers in the men’s category in 15 km are: winner Vaibhan Patil, 1st runner-up Shreedhara S.N., and 2nd runner-up Nithin. The top finishers in the women’s category, Archana K. M. and Chandana Kalita, bagged the first two positions, and Pranamya N. won 3rd place. The next five participants received consolation prizes.
Winners in the 5K run in the below 15 years category for girls were I place Anjali Santhosh Dongare, II place Shruti Abbanneppa Sharabi, III place Priyank Maruti Bhajantri, and in the category for boys were I place Samarth Sanjeevkumar, II place Santhosh G Snahapur, III place Hashwal N
Winners in the 5-k run in the 15 to 45 year category for women were: I place Chaitra Devadiga, II place Smitha D R and III place Roopashree and in the category for men the winners were, I place Changappa A B, II place Govindaraj, III place Yaswanth K
Winners in the 5-k run for above 45 years category for women were: I place B H Vidya, II place Beena Fernandes, III place Sheela Castelino and in the category for men were, I place H A Chinnappa, II place Ganesh T H, III place Chandrashekar. Under every category first five were awarded with consolation prizes.
Dr Chandralekha compered the program at Fr Muller Medical college Convention Centre.
Finally, the event concluded with a call to lend our support in building a ‘drug-free society.’ The event was a grand success, filled with enthusiasm and happiness, thanks to the collective efforts of all individuals.
