New Delhi, Oct 14: The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon organisers on Wednesday announced there will be "minor refinements" to the route for Sunday's race and the Open 10K event will start from the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium instead of Sansad Marg, which has witnessed massive protests against the Election Commission in the past few days.
Procam International, the race organisers, said the decision was taken after considering the "safety and experience" of the runners.
"With race day almost here, preparations continue in close coordination with the relevant authorities. Every decision centres on the safety and experience of our runners and the wider community," the organisers said in a statement.
"As part of the final preparations, minor refinements are being made to the Half Marathon route, while the Open 10K will now start from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 07:35 AM, with its route revised accordingly, instead of starting from Sansad Marg."
Route changes and race timings
The organisers, however, did not give any details regarding the "minor refinements" made to the Half Marathon route.
Last year, the Open 10K event started at Sansad Marg at 7:30 am and ended at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium.
The organisers said all associated race-day arrangements were being aligned accordingly, and detailed participant information will be communicated clearly through the official channels.
The organisers posted the timings for all five races that make up the event, including the 21.097 km half marathon that will start at 5.30 am "subject to change based on government approval."
Final clearance awaited amid protests
On Tuesday, the organisers had told PTI that all arrangements for the race were being made but they were awaiting final clearance from the authorities in view of the protest calls in the national capital.
The organisers said they were committed to ensuring a seamless, safe and comfortable race experience for every participant.
"Comprehensive safety and support measures will be in place along the route and at the finish line to safeguard runners' well-being," said the organisers, who are expecting more than 40,000 runners to turn up on Sunday.
Police deployment and security arrangements
Delhi Police Traffic Inspector, Defence Colony, Madhurendra Kumar said around 200 personnel will be deployed to "ensure smooth movement and security along the route".
"Delhi Police is fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of every runner. We have been working closely with the organisers over the past one-and-a-half months to prepare for race day," Kumar said in the release.
"Our deployment will include around 200 police personnel, along with 70–80 traffic police personnel, to ensure smooth movement and security along the route. We will be present at every stage to support the organisers and ensure a safe and successful race," he added.
Delhi Metro announces early services
To ensure a smooth and hassle-free event, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will commence Metro services earlier than usual.
The DMRC will commence early train services at 3:30 am on Sunday on Lines 1 (Red Line), 2 (Yellow Line), 3/4 (Blue Line) and 6 (Violet Line), covering the key catchment areas for the event.
Trains will operate at 15-minute intervals until 4:15 am, followed by 20-minute intervals until the commencement of regular services as per the scheduled timetable.
Other race categories and schedules
Besides the elite men's and women's half marathon races, there will be Champions with Disability & Senior Citizens' Run (starting 6:30 am), Corporate Run (at 9:00 am) and Great Delhi Run (9:05 am).
