24 May 2018, Bangalore: Procam International today announced their readiness to host the 11th edition of the TCS World 10K that will be held in Bengaluru on the Sunday, the 27th of May. This year’s registrations crossed a whopping 24,000 runners, ranging from Elite Athletes to enthusiastic runners. The announcement this afternoon in a 96- hours-to-go countdown, made by the team at Procam International, including Jt. Managing Director Procam International Vivek B Singh, Race Director, Hugh Jones, and Dr. Vivek Jawali, Chairman, Dept. of Cardio Vascular Sciences & Chief Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals, highlighted the route for the year, medical care preparedness and logistic measures that have been implemented this year.
Starting and ending at Kanteerva Stadium, the run has five different race categories, with the Open 10K kicking things off at 5.30 AM, and concluding with the World 10K for Men at 8:50 AM. The sun is expected to rise at 5:52 AM, with the minimum temperature expected to be 21 Degree Celsius. Commenting on the route, Race Director, Hugh Jones said, “It is good to be back in Bangalore for the 11th edition of the run. The competition during these races are always intense, with the 1st edition of the run setting the tone with a photo finish in the women’s elite run. There are no changes to the route of the elite run but the open 10K has a small change with the finish line pushed back a few 100m but with the same turn points throughout.”
The Open 10K has registered 15,200 runners, which is an increase of almost 1,500 from last year. Following this will be the Majja Run, a crowd favourite that commences at 6:45 AM. With a participation of 952, the Senior Citizen run kicks off at 7:15 AM followed by the World 10K for the Elite Women, which flags off at 8:00 AM. The 4KM Champions with Disability Run, will see over 486 champions racing from Kanteerva at 8:15 AM. Concluding the morning’s races will be the much anticipated Elite World 10K for men, which will start from the stadium at 8:50 AM. The route this year replicates that of the previous years, and loops through the some of the most iconic locations in the city such as the Vidhan Soudha, Ulsoor Lake, MG road and Cubbon Park, which is the Heart of the city for many.
Continuing as medical partners for the run, Fortis Hospitals has set up a base camp with 35 beds at the finish line and have placed three medical stations at various points along the route. In addition, there will be medical personnel equipped with stretchers and wheelchairs at the start and finish line to attend to any medical emergencies. Elaborating on the preparations, Dr.Vivek Javali, Medical Director said, “We have been associated with the run for 10 years now, and we are used to how this setup works, enabling us to prepare ourselves better. For this edition, we will have 200 medical personnel deployed along the course, with 25 doctors, a few mobile medicos on track, 3 stations and 6 ambulances. For the crucial last 2-km stretch of the run, we have multiple spotters across the stretch, who will be on hand for any emergencies.”
Concluding the proceedings of the Technical Press Conference, Jt. MD Procam International, Vivek Singh said, “As the city settled down after the elections, a path has cleared out for a great run ahead. We’ve got the best of the best running in this edition of the run with world half marathon champions and course record holders. The swap in the number of Majja run participants to the Open 10K runners shows the shift in conscience of runners in the city with more than double the number of participants in the Open 10K rather than the Majja run. With only a few days to go for the Race, we cannot wait to lace up and run.“
Running clubs to oversee 6 water stations
All the participants will be kept hydrated with the 6 water stations along the routes, with around 79,000 litres of Bisleri water will be distributed. Bisleri bottles and bubbles will be managed and passed around by various running groups from Bengaluru. This marks the 3rd year of this initiative at the TCS World 10K.
These runner groups include the Jayanagar Jaguars, Team Miles Ahead, Soles of Bangalore, MK’s Greengym and the Trail Blazers, among others. The volunteers will not only manage the station and motivate the fellow members of the running community; they are also trained in CPR by Fortis Hospital, thus ensuring immediate emergency response action.
Alongside the water stations will be two ORSL (Oral Rehydration Solution) Restoration Stations that will work to distribute over 14,000 tetra packs of ORSL and two fruit stations overflowing with oranges for all the runners when they need it. A total of 1,200 volunteers will work towards the smooth implementation of the run. A Volini Recovery Zone will also be set-up at the finish lines of the race to address any physical ailments of the runners that require recovery, with the Volini Recovery Experts assessing the runners and providing their opinions and solutions.
Puma is the official Sportswear partner for the run this year and will be showcasing a special warm-up zone for all the 10K participants. Hot breakfast will be served for the runners in-stadia, where there will also be a performance by one of the most prominent bands in South India, Thaikkudam Bridge.
Procam International always makes an effort to maintain the TCS World 10K as a 100% waste managed environment and that continues this year. There will be numerous recycling plans and no plastic for this year’s run, including distributing medals in eco-friendly cloth bags. All the waste generated during the run will be dealt with in an efficient and eco-friendly manner, so that it can be reused later on. Other highlights include the World 10K Urban Forest, that was started in 2011 and now has over 300 trees that showcase a green cover around Madiwala Lake, as well as 45 species of butterflies. The Cubbon Park Rejuvenation project is still as strong as ever, with 65,000 litres of water being generated daily and distributed to wells all around the Park.
The TCS World 10K 2018 telecast will be on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD 2 from 7am to 10am on 27th May 2018 and on Hotstar. Additionally, it will be streamed LIVE on the event website: www.tcsworld10k.procamrunning.in.
