By T.B. Rahaman - Daily Mirror

Marathon races in Sri Lanka go synonymously with Nestomalt and this time Jaffna is going to benefit by conducting this race on March 6.

This is the first time in the 20-year history of the marathon race in the country that it is taken to Jaffna. This event has become so popular that the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka (AASL) is expecting a maximum of 5000 runners to enter.

The marathon is conducted with the support of the Police and the Army as well and Nestle's doing the biggest share of the organising and sponsoring.They are planning to conduct the race in two categories such as the Open event and school level. The open event is for men and women and the school level is for boys and girls.Though the event is open to runners from all over the country this race is concentrated mainly for runners from the North.The race will start and finish at the Duraiappah Stadium and cover a distance of a mini marathon.

David Saudan, MD of Nestle Lanka said that he will be privileged to visit Jaffna and see for himself how the enthusiasm in the people's faces. He added that he will see how Nestle's could serve the people better in the future too.“Without the support of the Police and the Army no marathon can be successful in any part of the country.

Major General Palitha Fernando, President of the AASL said that conducting of these road races is the best way to search for talented athletes.

“We hope to pick about fifteen marathon runners and include them into the national pool and train them to reach Asian standards,” noted Fernando.Senior DIG for Traffic Department Lucky Peiris said that he was thankful to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for allowing him to give a statement on his behalf regarding the marathon in Jaffna.Peiris said that this was the correct time to take sports to Jaffna so that it could educate the people who are longing to live normal lives once again.“I was in Jaffna last week and the people are now looking with enthusiasm in their faces and longing to go ahead with their future with confidence. This is also a good opportunity for the Police to move around with the people,” noted Lucky Peiris.“The people will get the message of bringing normalcy to their lives. They will be able to live a disciplined life and engage in development activities,” added Peiris.The security arrangements have been finalized and it would be perfect to run a smooth marathon. The safety of the runners and the spectators are assured, added DIG Peiris.

The Jaffna marathon will culminate in a musical show where a carnival atmosphere will prevail. The awarding of prizes will also take place during the musical show.