Mysuru: The lush green slopes of Chamundi Hill came alive with the vibrant colours of cycling gear this morning as over 85 participants pedalled their way to the summit in the Chamundi Challenge Cycling contest. Organised by Mysuru District Amateur Cycling Association in collaboration with Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, the event commenced at 6 am from Uthanahalli Road, following the Chamundi Hill  back route and concluded at Devikere atop the Hill.

The 6.8-kilometre ride tested the endurance and speed of cyclists, with individual timing recorded for each participant.

The top three in each age category received cash prizes — Rs. 5,000 for first place, Rs. 3,000 for second and Rs. 2,000 for third.

The competition was held under multiple categories, including Under-14 (Boys and Girls), Under-18 (Boys), Men Elite, Women, Amateur Men, Masters (40+ years) and Veterans (Men & Women, 58+ years).

Chief Librarian of City Central Library B. Manjunath, who also serves as the Deputy Director of the Department of Libraries, along with former Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Tax Ramesh Narasaiah, flagged off the event.

The race concluded at 9:30 am, followed by breakfast for participants and organisers. Certificates were distributed to all participants, both for participation and victory.

Competition winners

In the Amateur Men category, Achal Hebbar secured first place, followed by Vishwanath Mallela in second and S. Naveenkumar in third. In the Masters Men (40+ years) category, Veera Manikanta took the top spot, while Joseph Nixon and G.S. Sunil Kumar finished second and third, respectively. Veena Ashok emerged as the winner in the Masters Women (40+ years) category.

In the Men Elite category, Charith Gowda clinched first place, with S. Dhananjay securing second and K.V. Vyshakh finishing third. Among the Under-18 Boys, Vignesh Chiramshi bagged first place, followed by Dhanush Prasanth in second and K. Pranav in third.

For the Veterans Men (58+ years) category, Umashankar finished first, while Suresh Subbarao took second place. In the Veterans Women (58+ years) category, Karen Marshall claimed first place, followed by Nithila Das in second and H.N. Naga Siri in third.

In the Under-14 Boys category, V. Vagish Gowda secured first place, with Sneho Roy and Samrudh Rajesh finishing second and third, respectively. In the Under-14 Girls category, Suhasini Girish took first place, while Emaya Prakash secured second.

Mysuru District Amateur Cycling Association Secretary Lokesh and Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports Cycling Coach Fariyal were also present at the event.