Steel giant Tata Steel has taken a decision to plant one sapling for every registration done for its marquee run property ‘Jamshedpur Run-a-thon’ scheduled on November 20 at JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur.

The move of connecting the plantation with the run has been done to promote the cause of sustainability, said company sources.

Confirming the development Tata Steel vice-president (corporate services) Chanakya Chaudhary said: “We are delighted to bring back the physical format of Tata Steel Run-a-thon after a gap of two years. We believe this event, an important part of the city’s sports calendar, will be cheered on by the enthusiastic running fraternity and community at large. This edition, we have also committed to plant a sapling for every registration done to promote a healthy ecosystem.”

“At Tata Steel, sports is a way of life and we will continue to provide such platforms to people to rejuvenate, enjoy and pursue a fit and a healthy lifestyle,” Chaudhary added.

The last physical format of the Jamshedpur run-a-thon was held in 2019. The run-a-thon was started in 2014.

“The physical format of the Run-a-thon resumes after a gap of two years due to Covid-19 pandemic. The marquee event will be held at the iconic JRD Tata Sports Complex. The theme for this year’s Run is “Fitness is Fun, Just Run!” said a company release.

The last physical edition of the Jamshedpur Run-a-thon was organised in 2019, wherein more than 4500 participants participated across three categories, representing 14 Indian states. In 2020 and 2021, the virtual format of the Run-a-thon was organised to ensure continuity and keep the running community engaged. The virtual run witnessed participation of more than 3,000 individuals in both the editions.

This year, the Jamshedpur Run-a-thon will be organised in four categories. While the 10km and 7km have an age limit of 19 years and above, the 5km will be open to children and adults aged 16 to 19 years.

“These three categories, competitive in nature, will have prize money attached to it. The 10km is the internationally approved distance for road races by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The fourth category ‘Fun Run’, a non-competitive category, is a new addition to Jamshedpur Run-a-thon 2022. Children and sports enthusiasts above the age of 12 years can take part in it,” the release stated.

The online registrations for the 7th edition of Tata Steel Jamshedpur Run-a-thon, open to all Indian Nationals, started on Thursday.

“The prospective participants can log onto http://www.tatasteeljsr-run.com and register online. The registrations will be done on a first-come-first-serve basis for the first 6,500 individuals only. The offline on-the-spot registration will kick off from October 17, 2022 onwards,” the release added.

Significantly, Tata Steel has, over the years, organised several Run properties like Tata Steel Kolkata 25K Run, Bhubaneswar Half Marathon and Noamundi Run-a-thon across its operating locations to engage with the community through sports.