SRM’s ROM – The Physio Run champions movement and healthy ageing
The 664-km relay across Tamil Nadu promoted fitness, unity and preventive healthcare; The Federal was the media partner of the event
The fifth edition of ROM – The Physio Run, organised by the SRM College of Physiotherapy under the SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), concluded at the university’s Kattankulathur campus in Chennai on Friday (October 10).
The annual relay, covering 664 km across Tamil Nadu, highlighted the message of “movement as medicine” and promoted the importance of healthy ageing.
The Federal was the media partner of the event.
Began in Dhanushkodi
The non-stop relay began on October 7 at Arichal Munai Beach in Dhanushkodi and passed through SRM campuses in Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Baburayanpettai before finishing at Kattankulathur, Chennai. Supported by the Ramanathapuram District Collectorate, the event was flagged off by Captain Arjun Menon, Commanding Officer, INS Parundu; Commandant Illavarasan of the Indian Coast Guard; and Dr Nitin M Nagarkar, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Medicine and Health Sciences), SRMIST.
Organising Secretary and Associate Professor SF Mariyam Farzana described the run as “a tribute to SRMIST not as work, but as something much more meaningful”.
Fitness, empathy, community spirit
Highlighting the broader vision behind the initiative, SRMIST Vice-Chancellor Prof C Muthamizhchelvan said the Physio Run reflected the institution’s commitment to perseverance, community engagement and healthy living.
“Through initiatives like this, we encourage students to embrace fitness as a way of life, nurture empathy through service, and grow into socially responsible healthcare professionals who lead by example,” he said.
Dr TN Suresh, Vice-Principal of the SRM College of Physiotherapy, said the event began in 2021 as a student-led movement to promote preventive healthcare through physical activity.
“Over the years, it has evolved into a multi-campus relay uniting students, alumni and faculty for a shared cause. Participants underwent structured training and fitness assessments prior to the run,” he added.
Relay of endurance
Dr Nagarkar said the event demonstrated the importance of collective responsibility in promoting health. “Health is not just personal; it is a responsibility we carry for our communities. ROM shows what we can achieve when commitment meets action,” he said.
Reflecting on the event’s significance, Prof TS Veeragoudhaman, Dean of the SRM College of Physiotherapy, said: “ROM is more than a run. It is a relay of knowledge, commitment and health connecting generations, inspiring action and reinforcing that movement is the foundation of life.”
The event concluded with a valedictory ceremony at SRMIST, celebrating the runners and torchbearers and reaffirming the message that ROM – The Physio Run 2025 was about "unity, service and a shared commitment to well-being."
