At 4.30 on a Sunday morning, the driveway in front of South City Mall in south Kolkata was buzzing, not with shoppers or early-morning movie-watchers — the multiplex wouldn’t open before another four hours and the food court and shops even later — but runners ready to hit the road for PUMA’s NITRO 5K run. My Kolkata was the digital media partner and South City Mall the venue partner for the first edition of the run held on July 28.
The North Kolkata Runners, who partnered for the event, ensured that the runners went through proper warm-up and cool-down routines, before they positioned themselves on the starting line. A total of 1,400 people had registered for the event and 1,350 of them took part in the run.
All the runners took part in the warm-up session lead by North Kolkata Runners to begin the run in prime condition
Firoj Sardar was the overall winner, finishing the 5K run with the fastest time of 16.56, while Deep Pandit and Rajkaran Pandey finished as runners-up in the men’s category. Sudipta Seal won among the women with Sweta Yadav and Rumi Majhi taking up the runners-up spots.
Firoj Sardar won with the fastest time while (right) Sudipta Seal stood as the winner among the competing women
“Running is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and, as a brand, we are constantly looking to build, support and cheer this dynamic community across the country. Kolkata’s running community is growing rapidly and we sensed their excitement for a road race. It was electrifying to see thousands of runners gather early in the morning at South City Mall and take to the road for PUMA’s NITRO 5K Run and high-intensity training activities in our blue race tees. Kolkata’s running spirit was unforgettable and we can’t wait to host yet another successful run here in the coming months,” said Shreya Sachdev, associate director and head of marketing for PUMA India.
The runners, too, were a happy lot. “The NITRO PUMA 5K run was an absolute blast! The route was well-planned. We had fantastic support with timely water stations and the cheering volunteers made it a memorable event. The knowledgeable instructors from the North Kolkata Runners group made the run easy for all participants with their essential warm-up and cool-down sessions. I can’t wait to hit the pavement again next year and the community-driven race by NITRO PUMA is the one to go,” said Ritu Kanodia a 49-year-old KPMG employee from Bangur Avenue.
Dressed in their Blue PUMA T-shirts that read ‘We run the streets’ the runners sweat it all out while running the 5k
Rahul Airan from the North Kolkata Runners said the feedback from the runners was very positive. “From pre-communication, race day tees, refreshments, route support, hydration, warm-up, and cool-down – every segment of PUMA’s run was well received by the runners. As a key running club in the city, we are especially delighted by the enthusiastic response from first-time participants who enjoyed the timed run,” he said. Red Bull was the hydration partner and Epigamia the beverage partner.
The elated runners enjoyed the cool-down session that included Zumba to relax the muscles after a tough 5K run
North Kolkata Runners played a significant role in the run as they not only ensured the runners took their warm-up seriously but also organised a cool-down session for the participants. The cool-down routine included some Zumba as well to ensure all the runners went home with relaxed muscles.
Tired feet and happy hearts posed for a picture in which the roar of joy could be heard from the runners
With the first run being a massive success, PUMA India is already gearing up to host another NITRO 5k run in the city in the coming months. The city’s running culture will only grow with the need to be fitter rising by the day.