Bengaluru: The Sarjapura Residents Welfare Association (SRWA) organized the first ever Sarjpaura Marathon to save lakes in and around Sarjapura on Sunday. The event had the participation of more than 700 people from Bengaluru city and the Sarjapura area.

The 10k marathon/run and the 3k Family Run/Walk was held with the Yamere ground near Sompura as the start/finish point. Enthusiastic citizens who were eager to lend their support to saving the Sarjapura Lakes, were at the venue in the morning and the ground was teeming with young children on their bikes throughout.  The 10k run started at 6.30 am with 76 participants. K.Tharun from Hosur, who was a last minute entry for the event clocked the best time for the 10k run. Several young children participated to cover the 10k route on their bicycles. The oldest participant was 74-year old M. Ramaswamy from Kristal apartments and villas, Sompura.

Narayana Swamy, ex- minister from Anekal;  Muniraju, Jilla Panchayat President, Bengaluru attended the event and were deeply supportive of the initiative taken by the Sarjapura Residents Welfare Association to bring awareness to the fact that the 26 lakes in the Sarjapura region needed immediate revival in order to avert a deep water crisis in the area.

The event had stalls from Cluster of Dreams selling eco-friendly Ganeshas on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi; Hasiru Dala sharing information on composting and their other initiatives; Daily Dump exhibiting the solutions they have devised for encouraging kitchen waste composting for households and a well-received stall by Kreeda Games, which revives native Indian games.