Nestomalt mini-marathon on Saturday

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional Dist. group corr.

The Nestomalt mini-marathon 2009 conducted by the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka with the support of Sri Lanka Police and the Education Ministry will be held on Saturday in Anuradhapura.

At a press conference held on Tuesday at Nuwarawewa Rest House Auditorium, the Nestle Lanka's External Affairs Manager Bandula Egodage said that Marathon will be conducted in two segments. Participants from any part of the country will be allowed to take part in the Open Marathon, while the second segment will be restricted to school children above 15 years of the Anuradhapura district.

He said further that following the Anuradhapura Mini marathon, similar marathons will be held at Ampara, Kurunegala and Galle districts. It was revealed further that the organizers have been making arrangements for holding marathons in Jaffna, Batticaloa and Trincomalee shortly since the peace is prevailing in Northern and Eastern Provinces.

The distance of the schools marathon is 10 kilometres whereas the runners in the Open Marathon are expected to cover 15 kilometres along the route between Anuradhapura public esplanade and Matale Junction within the city boundaries.

Egodage said that the organizers expect nearly 750 participants for event.

The winners of the school marathon will receive prizes starting from Rs. 5,000, 3,000 and 2,000 with trophies, medals and certificates and the first ten to complete the marathon will receive gift hampers from Nestle's. The winners of the Open Marathon are awarded Rs. 10,000, 7,500 and 5,000 as first three prizes and consolation prizes for the first ten runners.

Jayantha Gamage the Senior DIG, Kithsiri Dayananda, DIG (NCP), K. Abeysundara the Director of Sports, K.H. Somadasa the Deputy Mayor, Anuradhapura M.C., Sampath Dharmadasa the Municipal Commissioner and Janaka Perera, Secretary of D.A.A. will grace the occasion.