Formula One track hosts first ever running event in India
The Grand Prix Run in India took place last weekend on a Formula One race track, the first time a foot race has been held at such a venue.
Race organizers may have discovered the newest formula for running lifetime bests: Host a race on a Formula One race track.
The Grand Prix Run took place last weekend in Greater Noida, India, 30 kilometres outside of New Delhi. The race was held at the Buddh International Circuit, known as the site of the Formula One Indian Grand Prix, which has been suspended since 2013 due to an ongoing tax dispute.
The track is 5.13 kilometres, includes 16 turns, and boasts a minimal 14-metre elevation change. Times India reported that it’s the first foot race to have been run exclusively on a Formula One circuit.
The Grand Prix Run, which took place on Dec. 13, featured a half-marathon, 10K, 5K, and 3K. The winning times for the half-marathon and 10K were 1:14:28 and 31:27.
“This is the first time that I am participating in a long distance run,” one participant told Times India. “The main reason why I chose to come here is because of the concept – a foot race on an F1 track.”
The track’s pit lane was transformed on race day into a cheering and spectator zone for family and friends.
Although the Grand Prix Run claims its the first road race to take place on a Formula One circuit, other race tracks have hosted endurance events.
The site of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, hosts a triathlon with the bike portion of the Esprit Triathlon taking place on the F1 track.
The Banque Scotia 21K de Montreal event in April also runs on the circuit but only for a portion of the race.
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