Kochi : Age is no barrier for Thankaprasad N S, a 70-year-old cancer survivor from Thiruvananthapuram, to participate in marathons. He completed the 10-km race in 1 hour and 16 minutes at the fourth edition of the GTech Marathon held at Infopark on Sunday.
He says running keeps him healthy at this age. “I retired from a bank as Assistant General Manager at the age of 60. At that time, I was overweight, so I took up running at 63 to improve my health. Today, running has kept me fit, and I remain free from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension,” he says.
Thankaprasad is a survivor of multiple cancers. “I survived kidney cancer and prostate cancer. One kidney and my prostate were removed. I fought very hard to beat these diseases. Now, I run regularly to stay healthy and avoid lifestyle diseases,” he adds.
He encourages youngsters to stay active and use endurance sports to maintain fitness. Young people should avoid drugs and embrace a healthy lifestyle. Endurance sports, including running, are an excellent way to stay active and fit. Since turning 60, I have completed more than 100 marathons. If I can participate in marathons at this age, anyone can. Running keeps me healthy, and I urge youngsters to follow the message promoted by this event: “Say No to Drugs, Yes to Fitness.” he says.
More than 10,000 runners from across the globe participated in the marathon, which was held in four categories: a 21.1-km half marathon, a 10-km run, and two 3-km fun runs. The event has also become one of the biggest marathons organized to create awareness against drug abuse. It was organized by the Group of Technology Companies (G Tech), the industry body representing IT firms in Kerala.
