Hyderabad, May 10 (RAHNUMA): The eighth edition of Whitathon Run, the annual cause-related awareness and fundraising event organised by L V Prasad Eye Institute, was held on Sunday morning at the University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli. The run commenced at 5:30 a.m. and witnessed enthusiastic participation from over 2,000 runners, families, students, healthcare professionals, volunteers and supporters from across Hyderabad.
The event featured four race categories — 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K.
The 21K Half Marathon was flagged off by Dr Prashant Garg, Dr Vijay Anand Reddy, Arun Kumar Kalliapan and Dr Swati Kaliki.
The 10K run was flagged off by Dr Prashant Garg, Venkatesh Reddy, Dr Vijay Anand Reddy and Dr Swati Kaliki.
The 5K run was flagged off by Dr Merle Fernandez, Srinivasa Rao and Dr Swati Kaliki. The dignitaries also joined in flagging off the other race categories.
Supported by Hyderabad Runners, Whitathon 2026 continued its mission of raising awareness about Retinoblastoma, a life-threatening eye cancer that primarily affects children below the age of three. The event also aimed to mobilise support for free treatment and research initiatives for underprivileged children diagnosed with the disease.
Speaking on the occasion, representatives from LVPEI emphasised the urgent need for early detection and timely intervention in Retinoblastoma cases. While more than 90% of children treated at LVPEI survive the disease, vision can be preserved in only about 45% of cases due to delayed diagnosis and presentation.
India accounts for nearly 20–25% of Retinoblastoma cases worldwide. Globally, nearly half of affected children lose their lives because of late detection and inadequate treatment. Medical experts reiterated that Retinoblastoma is highly curable when identified early, helping save the child’s life, eye and vision.
Over the past decade, LVPEI has treated more than 2,500 patients with Retinoblastoma. The institute continues to provide over 50% of its services entirely free of cost, irrespective of the complexity of care required, through its unique cross-subsidy and Eye Health Pyramid models
