"For the last four months, the organising committee of the race has been holding series of meetings with different bodies of the city district government and other related departments and organisations, to identify and confirm areas of responsibility and administration including security, which will be of prime importance," said Ghouse Akbar, chairman Chief Minister's Task Force on Lahore while talking to newsmen on Friday.
He stated that the committee has also chalked out an elaborate traffic plan for the race and finalised all other technical aspects in consultation with the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS), Athletic Federation of Pakistan (AFP) and local administration.
Ghouse Akbar said the race has already been recognised by AIMS and International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), the international bodies as an annual event to become a regular fixture along with other marathons around the world.
He said the historic city of Lahore would be hosting the first ever international marathon-the Standard Chartered Lahore Marathon 2005, being held under the auspices of Punjab Chief Minister Task Force on Lahore.
The Lahore Marathon will consist of three races ie 6-km, 10-km and the main event of 42-km. The main event will start at 10:00 am and after a 10-minute break 10-km race will start. 6-km race will start at 10:30 am. The participants would run on different routes, all starting and finishing at the Qaddafi Stadium.
Punjab chief minister, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will be chief guest at the opening and closing ceremonies. The total cash prize of $100,000 will be at stake for the top position holders both in men and women categories.
Elite runners from over 16 countries of the world including top athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ukraine, Russia, Tanzania, Uganda, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Britain, Zimbabwe, Bulgaria, India, South Korea and Germany will be joining the local athletes in this marathon. All are looking forward to set their best mark in the race.
Apart from foreign athletes, around 6000 local people including some provincial ministers, district Nazims, show-biz personalities, sportsmen have registered themselves for the race.
The race will start from Qaddafi Stadium and participants will run through route Ferozepur road-Mozang Chungi-Chauburji-MAO College-Lower Mall-Data Gunj Baksh-Minar-e-Pakistan. They will return to Qaddafi Stadium after covering the route from Lahore Fort-Badshahi Mosque-Government College-Mall road underpass-Lahore Canal-Ferozepur road-Qalma Chowk-Model Town more and return to Qalma Chowk and Qaddafi Stadium.
The city police have adopted stringent security measures for the race. Around 2500 policemen will be deployed around the route of the race. The government has also imposed section 144 for this mega event in the city.
A spokesman of Traffic Police said here on Friday that due to Marathon Race to be held on January 30, Ferozepur Road will be closed for all type of traffic from Lahore Bridge to Qartaba Chowk, Lower Mall Road from Chauburji Chowk to Azadi Chowk, Mall Road from PMG Chowk to Mian Mir Bridge, Main Boulevard from Centre Point to Fawara No 1, Fateh Sher Road from Qartaba Chowk to Chauburji Chowk, Circular Road from Azadi Chowk to Baba Haider Sain and Canal Road from Pull Neher Mall to Pull Neher Ichra from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Traffic Police staff will be on duty for the guidance of the citizens.
The spokesman further said that above mentioned roads will be closed to donkey carts, bull carts, tonga-carts, rehras, rickshaws and Qingqi motorcycles under Section 144 for two days ie January 29 and 30.
Meanwhile, Sergey Krasnoshekov, a 44-year old Russian sportsman and scientific researcher, leading a seven-member squad of elite runners in the Lahore Marathon finds himself instantly captivated by the City of Lahore.
Sergey Krasnoshekov, a slender, serious-minded sportsman from Moscow of average height, arrived in Lahore via Dubai on Thursday accompanied by seven other under his charge, drawn from three counties, Russia, Ukraine and Tanzania, for participation in Sunday's historic race. Among the first batch of arrivals from the 50-plus elite runners, who have confirmed participation, he spoke in fluent English about his visit and his expectations from the team members.
Members of his team, he said were very experienced and had competed extensively everywhere including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Dubai, Turkey, Korea and India. He found the local conditions excellent and the weather simply marvellous, which may result in clipping some time off recent timings recorded in Dubai and Mumbai.
Krasnoshekov was delighted at the warm reception he received in Pakistan and general atmosphere, which was much to his liking.