Times Internet Half Marathon: CXO Leadership Run brings together top executives on equal footing

Times Internet Half Marathon - CXO Leaders Run Highlighted Shift Towards Participative Leadership

The CXO Leaders Run was a special segment within the Times Internet Half Marathon, where senior corporate leaders-CEOs, CFOs, and business heads-came together to promote fitness, peer interaction, and participative leadership beyond the boardroom. The CXO Leaders Run Highlighted Shift Towards Participative Leadership In a city that measured success in speed, scale, and stature, a different kind of movement took shape.

Hierarchy Took a Back Seat

Unlike conventional corporate environments defined by layered roles and restricted access, the CXO Run operated in an open format. Participants engaged on equal footing, with performance measured through pace and endurance rather than designation.

Commenting on the nature of the event, Chirag Jagwani, Head of E-commerce at Fix Derma, noted that the marathon was driven by “Team spirit.”

Cross-Industry Participation

The event demonstrated a significant shift in corporate engagement by prioritizing cross-industry participation and individual experience over traditional performance metrics. By bringing together leaders from diverse, typically siloed domains, the run provided a unique platform for informal networking and peer-level interaction that often remained elusive in structured corporate environments.

Because participants completed the course across a wide range of times, the focus moved away from speed and toward personal goals and collective completion. Ultimately, the format reflected a broader trend of cross-sector engagement, where the value of the event was found in the shared experience rather than competitive results.

Positive Participant Feedback

Participant feedback reflected a strong sense of satisfaction, with several voices from the CXO cohort capturing the spirit and scale of the experience. For many, the event stood out not just for its execution, but for the energy it generated across the course.

For some, including Executive Director of Resonia Limited, Mr. Pankaj Kumar, “the experience was marvellous, the support team was excellent, they were helping each runner from point to point.” His words underscored the seamless coordination and on-ground support that shaped the run.

For others, the marathon marked a more personal milestone. “I could restart my journey after 8 long years, all thanks to the Times Group,” said Shrikant Sharma, reflecting how the platform enabled participants to reconnect with fitness and routine.

Adding to this mix was Manas, ex-Noise, who brought in a lighter, more spontaneous perspective: “doing this for my motivation and fitness, here for just fun and energy.”

While the overall sentiment remained overwhelmingly positive, a few participants noted that the event felt highly curated-an experience that, at moments, appeared almost too seamless in its execution, hinting at the fine balance between precision and authenticity.

A Shift in Corporate and Leadership Culture

The event demonstrated a significant evolution in corporate engagement by prioritizing cross-industry participation and individual experience over traditional performance metrics. By bringing together leaders from diverse, typically siloed domains, the run provided a unique platform for informal networking and peer-level interaction that often remained elusive in structured corporate environments. Because participants completed the course across a wide range of times, the focus moved away from speed and toward personal goals, reflecting a broader trend where the value of an event was found in shared experience rather than competitive results.

This format served as a clear indicator of a changing leadership culture, marking a shift from hierarchical, role-defined structures toward more visible and participative models. It aligned with global trends that increasingly associated leadership with accessibility, engagement, and holistic well-being.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the CXO Leadership Run - while positioned as a segment within a larger marathon - highlighted changing patterns in how corporate leaders engaged with their peers and environments outside traditional settings. The event underscored a definitive move toward participation-driven leadership, where presence and active involvement gained prominence alongside conventional measures of performance.