Forty Isha Vidhya well-wishers ran in the TCS Bangalore World 10K Run on 19th May 2013 to raise funds for the upcoming Isha Vidhya school in Dharmapuri. Some participated in the 10K run while others participated in the 5.7 km Majja Run. This is part of a worldwide effort by Isha Vidhya well-wishers, who have been participating in several marathons across world to raise funds for Isha Vidhya scholarships, school infrastructure and learning material.

Isha Vidhya runners assembled at Cafe Coffee Day “Square” near the venue for the invocation, after which they headed to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to start the run. It was heartening to see people from all walks of life running to provide an educational opportunity to underprivileged rural children, while also breaking their physical and mental limitations. Cheers of encouragement by volunteers and the general public boosted everyone’s spirit and egged them on to complete the run.

Uday Rao, a participant at the marathon, shares:

“This is the second time I ran the Marathon in support of Isha Vidhya. The venue was crackling with the energy of over 20,000 participants. I felt a huge sense of enthusiasm as I met all the Isha Vidhya marathon runners.

I had come prepared mentally and physically for the 10 km run after my previous experience. During the race I saw so many participants older and also younger than me, stretching themselves to run for a cause close to their heart. It was very motivating and inspired me to give my best as well. I finished the race in 1 hour 6 minutes, 20 minutes less than my previous year’s time.

After the race we all enjoyed the upbeat music played by the DJ and danced with the joy of achieving this feat for Isha Vidhya. Truly an exhilarating experience. Looking forward to next year!”