Thiruvananthapuram:
Setting the stage for the 35th National Games starting on January 31, thousands of people drawn from different walks of life joined the "Run Kerala Run", flagged off by Governor P Sathasivam in the presence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Thiruvananthapuram.
Billed as the biggest mass run ever held in the country, sportspersons, film stars, cultural personalities, politicians, government employees, teachers and students lined up for the event not only in the state capital, but in the entire state.
Imparting momentum to the mass run, Mr Tendulkar also ran for about 200 meters from the starting point in front of the government secretariat.
The run was organised to express the state's unity and solidarity with the January 31-February 14 National Games, being hosted by Kerala after a gap of 27 years.
At the outset, the Governor read out the pledge for making the Games a big event in the sporting history of Kerala.
Similar runs were organised in over 10,000 centres across the state simultaneously.
As many as 21 mega run points, 226 mini mega run points, and thousands of ordinary points were arranged for the event.