58-year-old engineer runs Vizag Half Marathon for ‘Save Soil’ cause - The HinduPublished - October 04, 2026 08:55 pm IST - VISAKHAPATNAMSubramanya Sharma Challa runs along Visakhapatnam’s coastline carrying the Save Soil flag as part of his campaign to raise awareness about soil health. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENTSubramanya Sharma Challa, a 58-year-old chartered civil engineer from Visakhapatnam, completed the 21.1-km run at the Vizag Half Marathon 2026 on Sunday as part of his effort to raise awareness about soil health.Mr. Sharma, who began running as part of Sadhguru’s Save Soil movement about four-and-a-half years ago, said he had covered 7,642 km while carrying the Save Soil flag across cities including Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Goa and Bhubaneswar.“There is a lot of awareness today about air pollution and water pollution, but we don’t talk enough about the soil beneath our feet,” he said.Mr. Sharma said he would continue participating in running events to raise awareness about soil health and the need to protect and regenerate the soil.The movement says it seeks to raise awareness about soil degradation and encourage policies and agricultural practices to improve soil health.Published - October 04, 2026 08:55 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }