Bengaluru, Mar 5 (IANS): To create awareness on kidney health, the Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru organised a second edition -- bean-shaped (kidney) Cyclothon 2.0 in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Divided into two loops covering 100 km, the Cyclothon was completed in 2.5 hours, where the first loop covered 47 km, starting from Old Airport Road, passing through Millers Road, Malleshwaram, Yeshwanthpur, Hebbal, and returning to Old Airport Road.

The second loop covered 53 km, starting from Old Airport Road, and on to Whitefield, Varthur Road, Sarjapur, Jayanagar, and back to Old Airport Road.

The cyclothon was joined by over 600 participants including doctors, 10 celebrities, and 23 influencers who participated and used their voice to spread the message of kidney health, preventive interventions, and enhanced accessibility to kidney care across the city.

Prominent Sandalwood celebrities, including Praveen Tej, Manvita Kamath, Vikky, Arun, Nagabhusana, Sonu Gowda, Vasuki Vaibhav, Shwetha Shrivastav, Kushee Ravi and Amrutha Iyengar stepped forward to support the cause.

Dr. H. Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals flagged off the event at Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, followed by Hospital Directors in their respective units across Bengaluru.

"We have a large number of hospitals in different parts of the city that could connect the dots in the shape of a kidney. And what better form of awareness event could be other than a cyclothon to promote kidney health?" he said.

The cyclothon concluded with a pledge to support kidney health.

This event also expressed gratitude towards the collaborative efforts of nephrologists and urologists who work together to provide the best possible care.