Nestomalt marathon at Embilipitiya

Yasaratne GAMAGE

The Nestomalt marathon 2011, conducted by the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka with the support of Sri Lanka Police, Pradeshiya Sabha Embilipitiya and the Ministry of Education, will take place in Embilipitiya on July 9, 2011 commencing at 8 am.

This year’s Nestomalt marathon is conducted in two segments. The first is an open event where participants from any part of the country will be eligible to take part. The second segment will be restricted to school participants (girls and boys) above the age of 15 years from schools in the Embilipitiya education zone. The organizing committee said that all participants are required to report to the starting point, Embilipitiya Primary School, by 6 a.m. to undergo a medical check-up before the marathon begins.

The first three winners of the open marathon will receive Rs. 20,000, Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 10,000 respectively in addition to a trophy, while those who finish in the 4th to 10th positions will receive Rs. 2,000 each and a medal and a certificate as well.

The first three winners of the school segment will also receive Rs. 10,000, Rs. 7,500 and Rs. 5,000 respectively in addition to a trophy, while those who finish in the 4th to 10th positions will receive Rs. 1,000 each and a medal and a certificate.

All first ten places for both segments will receive a valuable gift hamper from Nestomalt. The annual event which started two decades back has contributed to bring promising athletes to the limelight. K.A. Karunarathna, V.K.L. Samarasinghe, Bandula Samarasinghe, Sarath Gamage, Indrajith Cooray, Thamara Padmini and Sujeewa Nilmini are some of the key figures in the field of athletics who have gained advantage of the event to enhance their sporting career.

The event is conducted according to the rules and regulations of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka.