Women run to promote healthy lifestyle

More than 2,000 Nepalese women on Friday took part in the biggest women’s run Pinkathon organised in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu to celebrate their health.The event was organised in Nepal as the first international edition of India’s social campaign Pinkathon with the theme of “walk or jog for women empowerment”. Regardless of age and professions, urban women took part in the marathon spreading a message of adopting healthy lifestyle.Women of all age participated in the 21km half-marathon, 10km, 5km and 3km race starting from Dasarath Stadium. The first of its kind, Pinkathon saw overwhelming participation of young girls wearing white and pink T-shirts written “I am a Pink Sister” on it.The social event aimed to encourage women’s health and fitness and create awareness for cancer, especially breast cancer.“Pinkathon was started in India to encourage women to take up an active life and to take care of their own health. And that’s the same reason we are here in Nepal,” Milind Soman, founder of Pinkathon, told media.The event has been organised at a time when the urban women are suffering from various diseases due to excessive work and domestic pressure and unhealthy lifestyle. Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, with breast cancer being the second most prevalent after lung cancer in Nepal.According to the World Health Organisation, every year 4,000 new patients of breast and uterine cancer appear in Nepal.Five-month old Anayasha Bhimchariya was the youngest participant of the marathon, who was accompanied by her mother Khusbu Bhimchariya.“I am here today with my baby girl to motivate other women who have been within houses so far to come out and to be concerned about the lifestyle and future. I lost my mother-in-law because of breast cancer so I want to encourage all women to take care of their health,” Bhimchariya said.The event was supported by Nepal Athletics Association and Nepal Cancer Relief Society.