Mangaluru: Balipu, a youth-oriented running club, attracted more than 1,800 participants for its 5km Supercar Run held in the city on Sunday.The event was organised to encourage youngsters to take up running and promote fitness through an unconventional format that combined a supercar-led run with a youth-focused approach. The turnout surpassed the organisers’ initial estimate of around 600 participants.“We had more than 1,800 participants, which is difficult to achieve in a city like Mangaluru. Unlike free marathons, this was a paid event, and people came to run for a cause. We also managed to attract more youngsters,” said Balipu co-founder Sohan Raj.An Aston Martin Vantage led the run, which began near St Aloysius (Deemed to be University). The 5km route passed through KMC, Clock Tower and the Regional Transport Office before returning towards St Aloysius.Sohan said the supercar was used to draw automobile enthusiasts and youngsters to running, rather than follow a conventional event format. The initiative also seeks to promote causes including coastal conservation, cancer awareness, women’s health, heritage conservation and cybercrime awareness .“We hope this format will help build a larger running community in Mangaluru,” he said.Founded this July by Jeethesh A and Sohan Raj, both 21, Balipu aims to make running more appealing to youngsters by moving beyond traditional formats.
