<p>Cricket may be the sport of choice for aspiring young athletes across the City, but for a group of less-privileged kids, marathon running offers all the predominant benefits and thrills of competitive sport.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The children, many of whom are aged as young as eight, come from an assortment of special organisations, schools and care centres, all of which express a mission to rehabilitate troubled children and help them get back on their feet, both physically and academically.<br /><br /> The children, who have staked their hopes and energies into the field of marathon running, originate from seven institutions. <br /><br />There is the Ananya Trust, a learning centre that works with children who have dropped out of mainstream schooling; the Sneha Care Home,a residential facility for HIV-positive children; the Thayi Mane, a home for orphaned children or victims of abuse; the Sita School, an institute which uses alternative educational methods to encourage children to learn at their own pace; the Spastics Society of Karnataka, the Shristi Special Academy, a school which works to empower physically and mentally disadvantaged individuals and Asha, an organisation involved in raising funds for the education of underprivileged and disadvantaged children. <br /><br />At the core of the marathon is the training offered by Runners High, a community of runners helmed by 33-year-old Santhosh Padmanabhan.<br /><br />Running community<br /><br />Started in March 2009, the community, comprising of 15 coaches, two physiotherapists and twelve volunteers, has been training children from less-privileged backgrounds in running and physical activity.<br /><br /> “After college, I was on track to become a VLSI engineer in a leading microprocessor company,” Padmanabhan explained. “Slowly, I realised that sort of work did not inspire me anymore. Instead, I found myself passionate about running and interacting with children. The Runner’s High, a social enterprise, reflects my true passion and ambition.” <br /><br />The volunteers and staff of Runners High also work with Thulir, an Education Resource Centre for children and young adults, located at Sittilingi, a tribal village in Dharmapuri. <br />Members go to the above schools thrice in a week and train the children through out the day for free. <br /><br />They also encourage them to participate in 10km races, half marathons, Chennai and Bangalore ultra-marathons, the Sunfeast 10k, and State-level special Olympics. Recently, the Runners High managed to get children from the seven schools to participate in the TCS World 10K Bangalore Run. <br /><br />Self-sustained operations<br /><br />The organisation also trains adults on weekends and during early morning sessions on weekdays by charging a fee through which it funds and sustains itself. <br /><br />At the current time, the staff from Runners High is gearing up for its much-anticipated ‘Ananda Yana’, a run to be held on June 2. <br /><br />The event will raise funds to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds and will have three categories: 4k, 6k and 10k marathons. <br /><br />The races are open to runners of all ages, and can be entered by paying a Rs 250 registration fee. <br /><br />The funds collected through registration will be donated to the Ananya Trust, the Sneha Care Home and the Thayi Mane. Online registrations for the are open till May 26. <br />Those interested can register at: http://www.anandayana.runnershigh.in <br />DH News Service</p>
<p>Cricket may be the sport of choice for aspiring young athletes across the City, but for a group of less-privileged kids, marathon running offers all the predominant benefits and thrills of competitive sport.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The children, many of whom are aged as young as eight, come from an assortment of special organisations, schools and care centres, all of which express a mission to rehabilitate troubled children and help them get back on their feet, both physically and academically.<br /><br /> The children, who have staked their hopes and energies into the field of marathon running, originate from seven institutions. <br /><br />There is the Ananya Trust, a learning centre that works with children who have dropped out of mainstream schooling; the Sneha Care Home,a residential facility for HIV-positive children; the Thayi Mane, a home for orphaned children or victims of abuse; the Sita School, an institute which uses alternative educational methods to encourage children to learn at their own pace; the Spastics Society of Karnataka, the Shristi Special Academy, a school which works to empower physically and mentally disadvantaged individuals and Asha, an organisation involved in raising funds for the education of underprivileged and disadvantaged children. <br /><br />At the core of the marathon is the training offered by Runners High, a community of runners helmed by 33-year-old Santhosh Padmanabhan.<br /><br />Running community<br /><br />Started in March 2009, the community, comprising of 15 coaches, two physiotherapists and twelve volunteers, has been training children from less-privileged backgrounds in running and physical activity.<br /><br /> “After college, I was on track to become a VLSI engineer in a leading microprocessor company,” Padmanabhan explained. “Slowly, I realised that sort of work did not inspire me anymore. Instead, I found myself passionate about running and interacting with children. The Runner’s High, a social enterprise, reflects my true passion and ambition.” <br /><br />The volunteers and staff of Runners High also work with Thulir, an Education Resource Centre for children and young adults, located at Sittilingi, a tribal village in Dharmapuri. <br />Members go to the above schools thrice in a week and train the children through out the day for free. <br /><br />They also encourage them to participate in 10km races, half marathons, Chennai and Bangalore ultra-marathons, the Sunfeast 10k, and State-level special Olympics. Recently, the Runners High managed to get children from the seven schools to participate in the TCS World 10K Bangalore Run. <br /><br />Self-sustained operations<br /><br />The organisation also trains adults on weekends and during early morning sessions on weekdays by charging a fee through which it funds and sustains itself. <br /><br />At the current time, the staff from Runners High is gearing up for its much-anticipated ‘Ananda Yana’, a run to be held on June 2. <br /><br />The event will raise funds to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds and will have three categories: 4k, 6k and 10k marathons. <br /><br />The races are open to runners of all ages, and can be entered by paying a Rs 250 registration fee. <br /><br />The funds collected through registration will be donated to the Ananya Trust, the Sneha Care Home and the Thayi Mane. Online registrations for the are open till May 26. <br />Those interested can register at: http://www.anandayana.runnershigh.in <br />DH News Service</p>