10 Cities, 35,000+ Runners, One Vision for a Healthier & Drug-Free India
The second edition of Namma Run kicked off in Salem on May 24th, expanding the community marathon circuit that captured 15,000 runners, 7,000 families, and 2,500 children across four South Indian cities last year. This year’s ambition is larger: 10 cities, 35,000+ runners, one vision for a healthier, drug-free India.
Salem’s debut delivered on that promise. The event saw 1,400+ runners, including 236 children, participate across competitive and family-centric categories. The turnout affirmed what regional running clubs and corporate teams had been signaling: tier-2 South Indian cities are hungry for fitness and family experiences that feel authentic, not templated.
District Collector Shri L. Elambhavath, IAS, attended as Chief Guest, alongside Mr. Pazhanivel ,MLA, Veerapandi Constituency) and K Sivakumar, MLA as Guests of Honour. Their presence underscored alignment with the Government of India’s Fit India initiative and the larger mission: building a drug-free India through community health and shared purpose.
What Salem demonstrated was straightforward. Professionals got a solid competitive run. Parents participated at their own pace. Children had dedicated fun run categories (1K and 2K). Grandparents walked the 5K. The event brought fitness enthusiasts and families together, not one or the other, but both. That’s the model scaling across the remaining nine cities: Mysore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vizag, Mangalore, Coimbatore, Kochi, Calicut, and Chennai. This distinction matters for brands. Unlike traditional marathons that attract only competitive runners, Namma Run’s structure aggregates diverse participation.
Salem’s numbers validate industry findings. According to a 2024 report by the Sports Industry Association, participation in community-organised running events in non-metro South Indian cities grew 34% year-on-year, with family participation categories showing the sharpest growth. [Source: SIA Report 2024]
The sponsor composition at Salem tells its own story. The event was powered by Coimbatore Jewelers and Reliance Industries, alongside Special Partners R&M Property Developers, health partner Gold Winner, Sports Partner Decathlon, Venue partner Sona College of Technology, Hospital Partner Thiru Hospital, and Associate Partners Paravasa Ulagam Amusement Park, CP Plus, and JSW. National brands, regional players, and local enterprises all recognised the value of direct engagement with high-intent audiences at a meaningful scale.
News18’s regional newsroom coverage across Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam platforms gave the event both ground presence and broadcast reach. For brands testing expansion into non-metro markets, that dual footprint addresses a real gap in how audiences engage with marketing beyond traditional channels.
The ten-city calendar continues through February 2027. Salem’s execution signals what media buyers should expect: markets beyond metros are ready to invest time and money in wellness experiences built around competitive participation and family inclusion. That’s a market shift worth planning around 2026-27 budgets.