~ Race held in collaboration with District Administration, Dhenkanal and Odisha Athletic Association ~
~Gets global recognition from the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races ~
~ Race organised in three categories- 21k, 10k and 5k ~
~ Aims to create awareness on protection of biodiversity and wildlife ~
~ Prize money worth Rs 9.64 Lakh for winners ~
~ Mr Hemant Singh from Alwar, Rajasthan and Ms Shyamali Singh from West Medinapur, West Bengal won the 21K men’s and women’s races, respectively ~
Dhenkanal: Tata Steel, in association with District Administration Dhenkanal and Odisha Athletic Association, hosted Tata Steel Meramandali Half-Marathon on Sunday. The event took place outside the periphery area of Kapilash Wildlife Sanctuary and had the theme ‘Run to Protect Wildlife’.
The event was flagged-off by Sudhir Samal, Hon’ble MLA, Dhenkanal, Manoranjan Mallick, District Collector & Magistrate, Dhenkanal, Madkar Sandeep Sampat, Superintendent of Police, Dhenkanal, Sumit Kar, Divisional Forest Officer, Dhenkanal, Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President (VP), Corporate Services, Tata Steel and DB Sundara Ramam, VP, Raw Materials, Tata Steel, Subodh Pandey, VP, Operations-Tata Steel Meramandali, Graphene and New Material Business, Tata Steel. Rajiv Kumar, VP, Operations, Tata Steel Kalinganagar was also present on the occasion.
Around 4,000 participants took part in the Half-Marathon, with a large crowd gathering to cheer on the runners and support their sporting spirit. The run was organized in three categories: 21K and 10K for men and women aged 19 years and above, and 5K for boys and girls aged 14 to 19 years.
The total prize money pool for all categories amounted to Rupees Nine Lakh Sixty-Four Thousand (Rs 9,64,000/-). Hemant Singh from Alwar, Rajasthan, emerged as the winner in the 21km men’s category, while Shyamali Singh from West Medinapur, West Bengal, claimed victory in the female category.
The highest prize money of Rs. 1 Lakh was awarded to each Men and Women category winner of the 21 km run. To meet international standards, the event integrated cutting-edge technology, including Timing Mats, RFID chips, split timing mats on the route, tracking cameras, and Wi-Fi networks. National-level agencies with expertise in organizing similar runs across the country oversaw these enhancements.
The Tata Steel Meramandali Half Marathon achieved global recognition from the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), a Greece-based organization overseeing marathon and distance running events worldwide. This validation by AIMS marks a pivotal milestone for the event.
Other industry body of the region MGM Minerals, Rimjhim Ispat Ltd, Angul Energy Limited, Tata Steel UISL, Tata Steel Technical Service Limited, Tata Steel Support Service Limited had collaborated for the successful organization of the run.
PRIZE LIST (IN Rs)
| Position | 21K | 10K | 5K | |||
| Men | Women | Men | Women | Boys | Girls | |
| 1st | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 61,000 | 61,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| 2nd | 71,000 | 71,000 | 41,000 | 41,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| 3rd | 41,000 | 41,000 | 31,000 | 31,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| 4th | 31,000 | 31,000 | 21,000 | 21,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| 5th | 21,000 | 21,000 | 11,000 | 11,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
