It gives us great joy to introduce to you the 2018 ReGreen Marathon which is scheduled to take place on 14th October 2018 at OMR, Chennai. This year is the second edition of the marathon. The Marathon will be held in three categories (3 km, 5 km and 12 km) - making it a Marathon for all ages!
How many Runners?
Around 12,000 runners and common people participated in the 2017 ReGreen Marathon to promote and create awareness about the need to regreen Chennai. The runners represent the countless voices that are already planting trees and contributing towards the cause in Chennai and elsewhere. This year, the number is expected to be much higher because if the increased exposure that ReGreen has garnered in the previous 10 months.
This year’s marathon has been planned diligently to make sure that it is a delight for the participants. From Organic Sandhai to Sumptuous breakfast, the event will be one of its kind. There will be ample water-recharge points and dedicated volunteers to help and guide the runners. The participants will be provided with detailed instructions, BIB and T-Shirts well in advance of the Marathon.
Why this Marathon:
“ReGreen Chennai” attempts to address the weakening of the environmental fabric of Chennai in a realistic manner. Against a required green cover of 33 %, what Chennai has today is vaguely 4 %.
Cyclone Vardah of December 2016 further punctured this already fragile green cover. ReGreen Chennai commits to a fourfold mission as response: To plant a million well grown native trees in the next five years; to plant 2.5 million palmyra seeds along all the water bodies and rivers of greater Chennai, both as future flood walls and as livelihood source for the urban poor particularly in times of extreme drought and distress; building massive number of rainwater harvesting ponds in the suburbs, and sustained community awareness programs linked to purposeful action.
Since its inception ReGreen Chennai has been phenomenal in achieving its major objective of planting trees and seeds across Chennai and its suburbs. Since its inception last year, ReGreen Chennai has planted more than two lakh saplings and seeds at strategic locations across Chennai and Tamil Nadu. In the last month alone, we have planted more than 60,000 Palmyra Seeds. We also have conducted more than 50 seminars to create awareness.
