Sachin Tendulkar to flag off Spice Coast Marathon 2024 in Kochi

Kochi (Kerala) | Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar will flag off the exciting Kochi Spice Coast Marathon 2024 at the picturesque Marine Drive Ground on Sunday morning, October 27.

A record number of 8,000 runners have registered, promising to add a festive spirit to the city's iconic sports event. Like every year, there will be three categories to cater to every kind of runner in and around Kochi.

The full marathon (42.2km) will be the main draw, with approximately 600 runners expected to vie for the grand prize and the honour of winning the coveted title. The half-marathon (21.1K) and everyone's favourite Fun Run (5K) have also seen increased participation this year.

"The Ageas Federal Life Insurance Kochi Spice Coast Marathon has a special place in my heart. I am delighted to see more and more people participating in the event every year. I have always dreamt of seeing India as a sporting nation, with our young and old actively playing some sport or the other. The success of marathons shows us that we are getting there," said Ageas Federal Life Insurance Brand Ambassador Sachin Tendulkar.

Jude Gomes, MD and CEO, Ageas Federal Life Insurance, highlighted the role played by his company in firing up the running culture in India. "As an organization, our purpose is to empower people to create the life and lifestyle of their choice. To realize our purpose of encouraging people to live a #Futurefearless life, 8 years ago, we decided to support marathons to encourage Indians to work on their fitness. Today, as each of our marathons draws huge numbers, we look back at our role in ushering in the running revolution with a sense of pride."

"The Ageas Federal Life Insurance Kochi Spice Coast Marathon has gone one step further, becoming a part of the state's culture. Every year, the entire city comes together for the big day and the community line up along the course cheering the runners which is a sight to behold," Gomes added.

Leading them will be 126 members of the Kochi Police of which 50 are women along with 257 runners from Jain Deemed University, 205 runners from Fragoman, 50 members of the Mathais family teams from Air India, Navy, RBI, IOC and Cochin Shipyard. In addition, runners from the Medical Trust Healthy Aging Group and Moms of Cochin will participate in the Fun Run.