The 24th Pune International marathon was flagged off with great enthusiasm from the Alka Talkies chowk on a chilly Sunday morning. The participants ran for a cause...some for fun, a few to test their fitness while others just wanted to be a part of the grand event.The main race, the 42 kilometer run, was flagged off by union minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor, at 7.45 am. Soon after the main race started, Puneites readied for the Maharashtra Golden Jubilee Run dedicated to Maharashtra for completing 50 years of formation,followed by the AIDS Charity run. 

Banners were held high bearing various social messages on HIV and the stigma associated with it. Corporate groups, college students, a team of electronic media and individuals participated in the AIDS charity run in large numbers. 

More than 150 students of PUMBA participated in the AIDS charity run. They carried banners with the message: "They don’t need Mercy, They don’t needsympathy; All they need is care, so lets take this dare" "PUMBA has participated in the marathon with the same enthusiasm that they have shown in the past years and it is a way in which PUMBA promotes CSR activities"said Dr. Captain C. M . Chitale, Dean of Faculty of Management, University ofPune.

The Head of Department, Dr. B. V. Sangvikar urged students to spread awareness about the dreadful disease.

Suresh Kalmadi, said, "Next year promises to be a even bigger as the Pune International Marathon enters its silver jubilee year." Ramesh Bagwe,minister of state for home, Harshavardhan Patil, Minister for Cooperation,Marketing and Parliamentary Affairs, Mahesh Zagade, commissioner of PuneMunicipal corporation, mayor Mohansingh Rajpal besides actors Neha Dhupia,Rajat Kapur and Saurabh Shukla were also present.