Dehradun, October 30: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday flagged off the 'Dehradun Marathon' organized by the state police and took part in the race along with around 15,000 athletes from across the country and abroad.

The chief minister also administered the oath of national unity and drug de-addiction to the people to celebrate the National Unity Day, October 31, the birth anniversary of the country's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The marathon was organised on the theme of 'Run for Unity' and 'Run Against Drugs' as part of the campaign to make the state drug-free by 2025. Speaking on the occasion, Dhami said that Sardar Patel played an important role in national integration and now under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is progressing with the resolve of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'.

Everyone will have to take a firm resolution to make the state drug-free by 2025, the chief minister said, adding that for a good society, everyone should be healthy as all the pleasures of life are possible only with a healthy body.

Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said that more than 15,000 people participated in the Dehradun Marathon, including over 100 foreign athletes from 15 countries.

He expressed confidence that the Uttarakhand Police Marathon would definitely be successful in winning the trust of the people and giving positive direction to the youth. Twenty one km half marathon and 10 km run were organised with the help of a social organization Hans Foundation.