MUMBAI: Kenya’s Cosmas Lagat and Ethiopia’s Worknesh Alemu upset the odds to triumph at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2019, winning in 2:09:15 and 2:25.45 respectively.
Both marks were the second fastest winning times in the history of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race, the pair taking first prize cheques of $45,000 in India’s richest road race.
With temperatures higher than expected and reaching 23 degrees Celsius when the gun went, race timings were negatively impacted.
Lagat crossed the line in 2:09:15 for his third win over the classic distance in six outings – his other two victories also coming in hot weather conditions in the Spanish city of Sevilla – with Bantie second in 2:10:05 and Akalnew third in 2:10:14.
“I thought Lagat might come back to us, in the last kilometres because he had changed his pace so quickly and he ran so fast (between 29km and 35km) but after 35km I knew I was running for second place,” said Bantie.
Pre-race favourite Abera Kuma, the fastest man in the field with a best of 2:05:50, drifted away from the leading pack just after 30km and was never in contention afterwards for a place on the podium, eventually finishing seventh in 2:13:10.
In contrast to the men’s race, the leading women started with a flourish and the sizable leading pack with their male pacemakers went through 10km in 34:28, 20km in 1:08:42.
India’s Sudha Singh finished eighth in 2:34:56, an Indian best in Mumbai, a personal best and the second fastest time by an Indian woman ever, but a full 13 seconds off the Indian national record.
It was a great day for the Indian runners as both Nitendra Singh Rawat and Sudha Singh, the men’s and women’s winners respectively, clocked timings which enabled them to qualify for the IAAF World Championships in Doha.
While Nitendra Singh Rawat comfortably clocked 2:15:52 in the men’s race, he missed the course record by a mere four seconds. His teammate Gopi Thonakkal, however, had a forgettable day as he developed cramps en route, but managed to clock 2:17:03 to finish second among the Indian runners. Karan Singh, winner of the Mumbai Marathon in 2014 and 2015 finished third 2:20:10.
Thonakkal was among thousands who were affected by the heat and humidity. As many as 3,226 runners required medical help, with a majority of them complaining of dehydration and muscle cramps, while 15 had to hospitalised before being discharged.
In the women’s category, Sudha Singh clocked her personal best 2:34:56 to finish eighth overall and best among the Indian women runners here. The national record in this event stands in the name of OP Jaisha, who clocked 2:34:43 during the World championships in Beijing four years ago.
However, Jaisha’s Mumbai course record of 2:37:29 got a beating today and Sudha pockets an additional Rs 200,000 bonus amount as Course Record Jackpot. Two-time Mumbai marathon winner Jyoti Gawte finished second clocking 2:45:48 and Jigmet Dolma from Ladakh managed to secure the second-runner up position with the timing of 3:10:42.
Rawat, who has happy to have qualified for the World Championships, said: “The pacers that were given to us were really good. We were faster than the pace that we set in the beginning, which would have helped us with the better timings. However, certain ups and downs post the half-way mark were the reasons for a slightly lower timing.”
Leading results
Overall Marathon Elite Men : Cosmas Lagat (KEN) 02:09:15; Aychew Bantie (ETH) 02:10:05; Shumet Akalnew (ETH) 02:10:14; Daniel (ETH) 02:10:55; Ayenew Mekuant (ETH) 02:11:16; Silas Too (KEN) 02:12:08; Abera Kuma (ETH) 02:13:10; Deresa Geleta (ETH) 02:13:11; Kipkenoi Kipsang (KEN) 02:14:44; Douglas Chebii (KEN) 02:15:28.
Overall Marathon Elite Women: Worknesh Alemu (ETH) 02:25:45; Amane Gobena (ETH) 02:26:09; Birke Debele (ETH) 02:26:39; Mergertu Alemu (ETH) 02:31:00; Almaz Negede (ETH) 02:31:45; Menesech Tsegaye (ETH) 02:32:45; Zinash Gerado (ETH) 02:34:32; Sudha Singh (IND) 02:34:56; Dinknesh Mekash (ETH) 02:36:31; Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh (MNG) 02:45:22.
Marathon Indian Men: Nitendra Singh Rawat 02:15:52 (IND); Gopi Thonakal (IND) 02:17:03; Karan Singh (IND) 02:20:10; Rashpal Singh (IND) 02:21:01; Bahadur Singh (IND) 02:21:12; Lal Jee Yadav (IND) 02:26:20; Durga Bahadur Budha (IND) 02:26:57; Mohit Rathore (IND) 02:28:47; Pradeep Singh Chaudhary (IND) 02:32:01; Sanvroo Yadav (IND) 02:33:39.
Marathon Indian Women: Sudha Singh 02:34:55; Jyoti Gawte 02:45:48; Jigmet Dolma 03:10:42; Rani Yadav 03:12:26; Tsetan Dolkar 03:13:13; Seema 03:17:24;
Indian Half Marathon Men: Srinu Bugatha 01:05:49; Shankar Man Thapa 01:06:07; Kalidas Hirave 01:06:38; Man Singh 01:07:06; Balliappa A. B. 01:07:11.
Indian Half Marathon Women: Meenu 01:18:05; Saigeeta Naik 01:19:01; Manju Yadav 01:25:11; Sudha Pal 01:31:14; Arati Dudhe 01:32:46.
