Faridabad (Balwinder Singh) — Haryana witnessed a massive public mobilization against substance abuse on Sunday as more than 135,000 registered participants took to the streets for the ‘Nasha-Mukt Haryana Faridabad NaMo Marathon-2026’ at historical Surajkund. Flagging off the mega running event, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that the strides taken during the marathon represent far more than physical endurance, symbolizing the collective awakening and resolve of the entire state to eradicate narcotics and foster a healthy, disciplined society.
Organized under the overarching banner of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years of public service, the event drew sweeping participation across generations, bringing together youth, professional athletes, women, and seniors. Runners competed across 21.1-kilometre, 10-kilometre, and 5-kilometre categories, converging on a single social mandate centered on fitness, public health, and drug abuse prevention. Showering flower petals on the departing runners, the Chief Minister remarked that Haryana’s core identity has always been rooted in sweat, athletic medals, and valour rather than addiction, urging young people to channel their vigour into sports, education, skill-building, and national development.
During the event, Chief Minister Saini administered a collective pledge to the gathered crowd, urging citizens to completely reject narcotics while actively guiding peers, family members, and local communities toward drug-free living. Saini stressed that tackling the narcotics challenge is not solely the responsibility of the administration or police forces, but a shared community duty requiring transparent communication among parents, educators, and neighbourhood groups. He also highlighted state-level grassroots outreach through the ‘Haryana Uday’ initiative, reiterating that seeking assistance for addiction is a mark of courage rather than weakness.
In the competitive events, Prashant Choudhary clinched first place in the men’s 21.1-kilometre category, followed by Vikram Singh as first runner-up and Anuj Meena as second runner-up. In the women’s 21.1-kilometre segment, Sonika emerged victorious, with Manav Rana securing first runner-up and Bhumika taking second runner-up. The men’s 10-kilometre race saw Rohit Kumar take top honours, with Gaurav and Nishant Karhana finishing as first and second runners-up respectively, while the women’s 10-kilometre run concluded with Neeru Rani winning first place, followed by Sonia Upadhyay and Rima Patel.
The large-scale civic demonstration was attended by several senior leaders and public representatives, including Union Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar, Haryana Revenue Minister Vipul Goel, Minister of State for Food and Supplies Rajesh Nagar, Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam, Ballabgarh MLA Mool Chand Sharma, Badkhal MLA Dhanesh Adlakha, NIT Faridabad MLA Satish Fagna, and Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Rajiv Jaitly.
