Besides professionals, amateurs take the ride

LUCKNOW: It was an occasion to cheer and Lucknowites came out in full force to make the event special. Besides the main race which was a runaway success another event, The Green Ride, meant for the amateurs, was lapped up by the cityfolks with vigour an fanfare. With no cash awards at stake, the 5-km race offered only certificates and some token gifts via lucky draws.That, however, did not deter the participants to throng the venue as early as 5.30am.
The excitement was palpable at the gates of the Babu stadium and by the time The Green Ride was flagged off number of entries swelled to 1,500.
People from all walks of life made their presence felt. Vishnu Bhagwan Prasad, 65, retired PWD employee, had borrowed a cycle from his friend and reached the venue from Shantinagar, Amausi, just to “be a part of the government initiative” which he found “noble”.
There was father-daughter duo of Dadanpal and Aditi who wanted to outrace each other but in the end reached the finish-line together.
Abdul Mabood Khan, 38, a Nadwa pupil, wore a distinct look with a crisp white kurta-pyjama, skull cap and a flowing beard. “I am here for a little exercise,” he smiled.
There was a bunch of school children, some of them in uniforms, a host of NCC cadets and a participant from Etawah, Lila Dhar Yadav, who claimed to be an ex-pole vault champion of Agra University.
Most inspiring was the sight of a differently abled braveheart, Lalit Pathak, who participated in the event. He lost both legs in an accident years ago.