Chennai: Over 7,000 runners from across the country will participate in the 15th edition of dream runners half marathon (DRHM) on July 19, of which The Times of India is the official media partner.The 21.1km category will be flagged off at 4.30am from Napier’s Bridge by P Kumar, deputy commissioner of police, T-Nagar district, Greater Chennai city police. The 10km category will follow at 5.15am, also from Napier’s Bridge, and will be flagged off by K Bhavaneeswari, inspector general of police, singapenn special force.The race will proceed from Napier’s Bridge through the Marina stretch, Santhome, Adyar Flyover and Besant Nagar, before concluding at Island Ground.Ahead of race day, the dream runners half marathon expo will be held tomorrow at R K Convention Centre, Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Neelankarai, between 9.30am and 5pm, where registered runners can collect their race BIBs and goodie bags.This year, dream runners will felicitate Olympian, former Indian hockey team captain and coach Vasudevan Bhaskaran.The event will also support three key charitable causes: the provision of prosthetic limbs to amputees through freedom trust; the supply of pressure garments to women survivors of burns and acid attacks; and support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Vijay Human Services. Funds raised through the marathon will be handed over to partner organisations during the expo.Dream runners, one of Chennai’s largest running collectives, comprises 13 chapters in the city. The organisation has also reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability through initiatives such as plogging and measures aimed at ensuring zero food wastage during the event.Further information is available at www.dreamrunners.in.Traffic along the following route will be blocked between 4am and 7.30am: From Napier’s Bridge-Marina- Greenways Road- Adyar Flyover- Besant Avenue and back to Napier’s Bridge via the same route.
