PUNE: With Pune citizens, government officials also participated in the Bajaj Allianz Pune Half Marathon held at Balewadi stadium on Sunday.

Deputy Education Officer Jyoti Parihar Solanki said that in the age of hectic schedule, there is a need to focus on health and everyone should work on it.

"Like the previous year, this year too, I participated in the marathon along with my family. We started preparing for the marathon a few days ago and this event has helped us focus more on our health," added Jyoti. 

Speaking about the benefits of participating in the marathon, Project Director of District Rural Development Scheme Sambhaji Langore, who participated in 10km run this year and is planning for 21km run next year, said, "I stay in Nanded City and go on an early morning walk on a daily basis. This year, I took part along with my friends and it took me about an hour to complete the run. It is indeed inspiring to run along with such a large number of people and it keeps us motivated," he added.

Member of Parliament Girish Bapat, Pune Municipal Corporation Commissioner Saurabh Rao were also present and participants were asked to take an oath to keep their surroundings clean.