Archana Puran Singh, Huma Qureshi, Shefali Shah and Sunil Grover flag off Sekhon IAF Marathon 2025

NEW DELHI: Actors Archana Puran Singh, Huma Qureshi, Shefali Shah, and Sunil Grover flagged off the Sekhon IAF Marathon 2025 at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday morning.

The event, hosted by the Indian Air Force (IAF), brought together hundreds of fitness enthusiasts and citizens for a half-marathon, a 10-km run, and a 5-km run.

While speaking to the media at the event, Huma Qureshi said she felt honoured to be a part of such a meaningful initiative. Sharing her thoughts with the media, she said, “We are very proud of our Indian Air Force (IAF). They are the pride of the nation and this is a very great initiative.”

Actor Shefali Shah also spoke about the importance of the armed forces and their contribution to the nation’s safety. She said, “It’s an honour to be here, we feel safe as we have the army protecting us, salute to them.”

Archana Puran Singh expressed gratitude to Netflix for supporting the event and appreciated the collaboration between citizens, storytellers, and the armed forces.

“The Indian Air Force is the pride of our nation and we are very thankful to Netflix for bringing us here and it inspires us. We have not inspired the runners but they inspire us…It’s truly heartwarming to see citizens and storytellers like Netflix to come together on a platform like this. I have huge respect for the Indian Armed Forces,” she said.

The Sekhon IAF Marathon 2025 (SIM-25) has been organised under the guidance of the Air Force Sports Control Board, with support from local Air Force stations and community partners. Volunteers, trainers, and medical teams ensured the smooth running of the event with proper hydration and safety points along all routes.

The marathon is named in honour of Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, the Indian Air Force’s only Param Vir Chakra awardee, paying tribute to his courage and sacrifice. (ANI)