A few friends who were regularly working out in a neighbourhood gym decided to take up running on the road. Since all of them lived in and around Elliot’s beach, running on the promenade in the early morning turned out to be a refreshing change. The feel of fresh air was so addictive that they soon took to running all days of the week. They formed a group, engaged a coach, and started training in a structured way. This is how the running group Dream Runners came into being.
They have 12 chapters across Chennai and have grown from a handful of people to over 800 today. In order to provide a unique running experience, they started organising half-marathon events. Their events were completely managed by the runners themselves.
Every year, the proceeds generated from the event are distributed to various social organisations, like Vijay Human Services and PCVC, Freedom Trust, Avvai Illam and the Olcott School. The school has also become their standard venue to host the marathon.
Hexaware, a major IT organisation is the title sponsor of their half marathon. This is the second biggest running event in Chennai. In the run-up to the event, they are providing free training programmes across Chennai, to those who want to take up running to improve their overall health.
Recognising the importance of women’s health, they encourage a lot of women to take up running. Every year, their signature half-marathon event is held on the 3rd Sunday of July – July 21 this year.
The neighbourhood residents should turn up in good numbers to cheer the runners who are running for a cause that benefits society at large.
