Trinamul Congress’ allIndia general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee participated in the half-marathon of Kolkata Police on Red Road today. He ran alongside others, covering a distance of 10 kilometres. The half-marathon had three categories ~ 21 kilometres, 10 kilometres, and 5 kilometres, and Abhishek chose the 10-kilometre run. Seen in a black shirt and white trousers, his physical fitness at the age of 36 earned praise from many who witnessed him running the marathon on Sunday morning.

Abhishek has also tweeted: “Inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s message of synergysing the body & the mind, I laced up for Kolkata Police Safe Drive Save Life Half Marathon. The camaraderie of running with people for a healthier & safer lifestyle was truly unforgettable.”

Apart from Mr Banerjee, former Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly also took part in the half-marathon in Kolkata Police. Celebrities like Dev, Abir Chatterjee, Isha Saha, and others from Tollywood also joined the run. DGP Rajeev Kumar and Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal was present at the marathon. Around 25,000 participants took part in the half marathon.

The marathon was flagged off from Red Road. Participants covered AJC Bose Road, Shakespeare Sarani and Maa Flyover and ended the run at Red Road. During the marathon, an incident occurred on Red Road. An arch at the finish point collapsed, injuring Kolkata Police’s additional commissioner Murlidhar Sharma, who was standing in front of it.

The large arch, placed near the finish point, collapsed due to strong winds, hitting Mr Murlidhar on the head and back. Although the injury is not severe, he was taken to Moulali Institute of Neurosciences for observation and medical care.