The Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation Marathon (VVMCM) started as a state-level event in 2011 and has grown into one of the country’s premier national-level running event, offering the highest prize money for Indian athletes, both professional and amateur. With the scenic beauty of Vasai-Virar, strategically placed cheering zones and excellent facilities for the runners, VVMCM offers one of the best running experiences in India.
Conceptualized by Aryanz Sports PR and Events for the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation, VVMCM came under the aegis of the Athletic Federation of India (AFI) in 2012.
VVMCM has four timed categories: Full Marathon (42.195 Km), Half Marathon (21.097 Km), 10 Km Open Run, 5 Km Open Run and Dhamaal Dhaav (3 Km). Besides these, the VVMCM also four offers a unique opportunity for running groups called the Battle Run, offering attractive prize money.
In its first edition, VVMCM started with 700 participants and currently has in excess of 20,000 runners across various categories. The VVMCM offers prize money in excess of Rs 54 Lacs. There is a separate prize money fund for participants from the Vasai-Virar Taluka region.
The event attracts some of India’s finest athletes with names like G Lakshmanan, Lyngkhoi Bining, Elam, Singh, Deep Chand, Sanvroo Yadav, Shoji Mathew, Lalita Babbar, Kavita Raut, Sudha Singh and Monika Athare who have participated in the past.
The event has also been graced by personalities from different walks of life. Sporting legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Dhanraj Pillay, Anju Bobby George, P T Usha, Shiny Wilson, Wrestlers Sushil Kumar & Yogeshwar Dutt, Archer Deepika Kumari, Indian track and field athlete Avinash Sable to Bollywood celebrities like Riteish Deshmukh, Mahima Choudhary and a host of Marathi film and television luminaries have been guests of honour at the event. The first four years has seen Actor, Model, and Running Enthusiast Milind Soman as the ‘Face of the Event’. Actors Rahul Bose and Mandira Bedi were the event ambassadors for the 2017 edition while Star Sprinter Dutee Chand had graced the occasion in 2018.
