David Rudisha gives a clarion call to Indian marathoners
Give your best to give it their best in Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon and qualify for the Asiad, says the double Olympic champion.
The trio of elite runners, Man Singh, Belliappa AB and Karthik Kumar clinched the podium positions in the Apollo Tyres New Delhi National Marathon here on Sunday and qualified for the Asian Games in September.
All three went under the qualifying mark of 2 hours and 15 minutes in an exciting run that went down to the wire
Man Singh, who recorded his personal best of 2:16:58 just last month, clocked an impressive 2:14.13 to win the coveted gold medal as well as the cash prize of Rs 1,50,000.
Belliappa (2:14.15), who was breathing down his neck in the final leg, finished just two seconds behind to improve upon his own best by over 2 minutes. He pocketed the silver medal in the process.
Karthik Kumar (2:14.19) crossed the line four seconds behind to take the bronze.
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Though Jyoti Gawate took home the gold medal among elite women but failed to book her flight ticket to Hangzhou (China). She, managed 2:53:04 while the target for the women was 2:47 minutes.
Ashvini Jadhav (2:53:06) and Jigmet Dolma (2:56:41) took the other two positions on the podium.
“We at NEB Sports had done everything possible to create the best ambience and platform for the athletes to qualify for the Asian Games. We are delighted that three elite men have made it. It’s a proud moment for us,” NEB’s Nagraj Adiga, the Race Director, said.
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“I was stumped by the enthusiasm among the runners. I couldn’t stop myself from cheering as I saw India’s top marathoners enter the Nehru Stadium well under the qualifying mark,” world record holder and double Olympic champion David Rudisha, the Brand Ambassador of NDM, gushed. “I congratulate the three qualifiers and wish them all the best for the big one in September,” he added.
“We are delighted with the response from the running community for the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon. It is heartening that three male athletes have breached the qualifying standards for the Hangzhou Asian Games,” Satish Sharma, President (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) of Apollo Tyres Ltd said.
Over 16,000 runners took part in the four categories, making it one of the biggest turnouts in the country. The Elite Marathoners set off on their mission at 5 in the morning, with David Rudisha flagging them off along with other dignitaries.
Other Results
Half Marathon:
Men: 1. Kiran Matre (1:05.57); 2. Nano Guta (1:06.03); 3. Tirtha Pun (1:06.21)
Women: 1. Neetu Kumari (1:17.14); 2. Bisle Bikaye (1:18.26); 3. Ujala Ujala (1:21.31)
Men: 1. Kiran Matre (1:05.57); 2. Nano Guta (1:06.03); 3. Tirtha Pun (1:06.21)
Women: 1. Neetu Kumari (1:17.14); 2. Bisle Bikaye (1:18.26); 3. Ujala Ujala (1:21.31)
10K:
Men: 1. Rishipal Singh (0:32.56); 2. Abdisa Wolde (0:32.57); 3. Sunny Kumar (0:34.14)
Women: 1. Ekta Rawat (0:38.12); 2. Rozi (0:38.13); 3. Priti Priti (0:39.22)
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