Udaipur: Under the aegis of St. Paul’s School, Udaipur, a grand CBSE Mini Marathon was organized on Sunday. The marathon began at 6:30 a.m. from the Mahakaleshwar Temple and concluded at the Fish Aquarium on Fatehsagar Pal. More than 1,000 students from Classes 9 to 12, representing 23 CBSE-affiliated schools of the city, enthusiastically participated in the event.

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Principal Father A. John Bosco informed that all participants assembled at the temple premises on time, where they were briefed about the marathon rules and guidelines. To energize the young runners, a 10-minute yoga session was conducted by a professional instructor, followed by the distribution of free T-shirts to all participants.

The marathon was flagged off by Principal Father A. John Bosco, School Manager Father Stephen Rawat, Chief Guest and Arjuna Awardee sprinter Dutee Chand, CBSE Ajmer Region Deputy Secretary and Centre of Excellence Head Sanjeev Srivastava, Dr. Anand Gupta, and Ironman Rishabh Jain. Students ran with the inspiring message of Fit India – Swasth Bharat, showcasing remarkable discipline, fitness, and sportsmanship throughout the 2.5 km route. Adequate medical and police arrangements were made for safety, and spectators along the route cheered the participants enthusiastically.

In her motivational address, Dutee Chand encouraged young athletes to maintain fitness and perseverance along with academics. She shared her inspiring journey from humble beginnings, recalling how she trained barefoot despite social criticism, eventually earning over 1,500 medals and awards through sheer determination.

Presiding over the event, Nivrutti Kumari Mewar emphasized that sports are essential for physical and mental well-being and urged students to remain rooted in their mother tongue, culture, and traditions. Addressing Dutee Chand in Odia, she expressed pride in their shared heritage.

Winners:
In the Girls’ category, first place went to Pari Modi (St. Matthew’s Sr. Sec. School), second to Ayesha Bagla (Witty International School), and third jointly to Neha Kunwar Dulawat (BN School) and Roshni Boss (St. Mary’s Sr. Sec. School).
In the Boys’ category, Hitesh Meena (The Study Sr. Sec. School) secured first place, Thomas Shibu (St. Paul’s Sr. Sec. School) came second, and Shantanu Adhiria (St. Paul’s Sr. Sec. School) stood third. The winners received cash prizes of ₹5,000, ₹3,000, and ₹2,000 respectively.

Additionally, 23 outstanding sportspersons from participating schools were felicitated by Dutee Chand.

Earlier, Principal Father A. John Bosco and Manager Father Stephen Rawat welcomed guests with bouquets, shawls, and mementoes. The event was coordinated by Samuel Francis, Dr. Anju Chaube, Sunita Sebastian, Bhawarsingh Chauhan, and S.L. Jain. Senior faculty member Bernard Bhuria conducted the proceedings, while Dr. Anju Chaube delivered the vote of thanks.

CBSE Regional Officer Sanjeev Srivastava remarked that such events nurture teamwork, discipline, and a spirit of healthy competition, fostering positivity and fitness among students.

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