Rural Development Trust reports on a unique sporting challenge raising funds to improve the living conditions of families in Srisailam, India.
128 runners participated in the fifth edition of the Anantapur Ultramarathon (AUM) on 24 January 2020. These runners were a part of a unique and exciting sports challenge: to run 170km in teams of four through the villages and scenic countryside of Ananthapuramu to enable 39 families in Srisailam to improve their living conditions. A challenge that they accomplished successfully before their run!
The AUM was an initiative by Juan Manuel Viera, an ultrarunner from Spain and Rural Development Trust (RDT) volunteer, who decided to run one kilometre for every new child enrolled under RDT’s education and health programmes in Anantapur.
¨The ´1 KM 1 Life´ intiative was born in 2015 out of the idea of linking the value of solidarity and sport together and that is the essence of the Anantapur Ultramarathon,” said Veira. “Every year when we come back, we see the impact of what we have achieved through the previous editions and that raises our spirits and makes us want to keep going. That is why this year we want to give a special thank you to all RDT staff that support us and make it possible.¨