PANAJI
Suraj Velip (30) and Swezial D’souza (22) emerged as the winners in the male and female categories of the 21-km open event at the Rotary Rain Run 2025, held on Sunday. The 11th edition, which took place amid the ongoing monsoon season, saw over 2,400 runners from Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and other states take part.
Velip clocked 1 hour 25 minutes 08 seconds in the men’s 21 km timed run, while D’souza secured victory in the women’s category with a time of 1 hour 49 minutes 27 seconds. In the 10 km timed run, Hari Velip won the men’s race with a timing of 36 minutes 46 seconds, and Line Shetty claimed the women’s title with a time of 1 hour 24 seconds.
A total of 2,478 athletes, both professional and amateur, participated in the event, which was flagged off from the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) Athletics Stadium in Bambolim. The event was inaugurated by Colonel Arpit Yadav, Deputy Commandant 2 STC, Alok Kumar, Director General of Police (DGP) Goa, and Arun D Bhandare, District Governor of Rotary International District 3170, alongside Rotary Rain Run Chairman Avinash Singh Parmar, Coordinator Shephan Shaikh, and Rotary Club President Harsh Thakkar.
In addition to the timed events, hundreds of amateur runners participated in non-timed runs, including a 5 km dream run and a 2 km fun walk, which also saw participation from senior citizens. Around 20 para-athletes joined the fun walk, and para-athlete Niranjan Jadhav completed the 10 km run.
To add a monsoon touch to the event, the runners passed through two rain showers, placed at All India Radio, Panaji, and Dempo Nilaya, Taleigao, along the scenic route from SAG Athletics Stadium to Miramar Circle and back.
The event, supported by volunteers from the Indian Armed Forces, raised funds for the Prakash Cancer Aid Project, which promotes women’s health and free cancer detection services. Avinash Singh Parmar, Chairman of the Rotary Rain Run, said, “The dedication of every participant has been very inspiring. The support from the Indian Army has been invaluable.”
Each participant received a medal, while podium finishers in the 10 km and 21 km events were awarded trophies. The Rotary Rain Run is certified by the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races (AIMS), ensuring it meets global standards.
