The scenic environs of the City Beautiful's Lake Club on reverberated with the palpable enthusiasm and excitement of fitness freak cyclists and runners who took part in the Women & Children Nature Trail Run and Cyclothon on Sunday morning.The two events, held with the aim of promoting culture of physical fitness as lifestyle, were part of the exciting series of events being organized in the run-up to the 2nd Edition of Military Literature Festival, to be held in the city from December 7 to 9.The Military Literature Festival is a joint initiative of the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, and the Chandigarh Administration led by V P Singh Badnore, in collaboration with the Indian Army.The Nature Trail Run, which was open to ladies and children of all age groups, witnessed enthusiastic participants, including kids, bring out the joy of running in the lap of nature.The route was carefully selected along the banks of the Sukhna Wildness Wildlife Sanctuary. With due care being taken to ensure that the delicate eco-system of the sanctuary is not disturbed, the participation was limited to only 250 runners.Earlier, adorning their bright Red T-shirts epecially crafted for this event, the runners were flagged off by President AWWA Western Command Sukhwant Kaur, who herself ran the entire trail.The other attraction of the day, the Cyclothon event saw around 500 enthusiasts go around the 22 KMs distance starting from the Lake Club and going past the Chandigarh Golf Club, IT Park and returning to the Lake Club as the finishing point.
The event was open to all categories above the age of 14 years.The cyclists, brightly dressed in yellow full sleeved jerseys, were flagged off by Chief of Staff, Headquarters Western Command Lt. General P M Bali.The events today witnessed a huge public response, while teams from professional Cycling Clubs, YPS Mohali, Army Public School and NCC cadets added a special flavour.More than 1000 people, including students from city schools, attended the sporting events today, with bigger crowds expected at the subsequent competitions and programmes.Complementing the participants at the Closing Ceremony, ADG NCC, Major General R S Mann urged them to make these activities a part of their routine. This huge response by people from the city and surrounding areas reflect their positive attitude towards body fitness and overall well-being, the General added.Major General Mann lauded Prof. Rakesh Mohindru and Paveela Bali for being the driving force behind the organising of these events. He also praised the NCC cadets for making the show a grand success.All the participants were awarded certificates and refreshments after completion of race.These events will be followed by a spate of other events to be held in Chandigarh, including Birding Rally November 24, Golf Tournament November 19 & December 3, Para Motor Display November 30 to December 01, Air Force Display & Skydiving Display November 30, Equitation Tattoo & Saragarhi Light & Sound Show November 30 & December 1, Military Equipment Display November 30 & December 1 and Braveheart's Ride December 2.