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Mumbai springs a surprise

MUMBAI:Cosmas Lagat of Kenya and Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia surprised pre-race favourites to win the men’s and women’s crowns, respectively, in the $405,000 Mumbai Marathon.

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Mumbai, January 20 

Cosmas Lagat of Kenya and Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia surprised pre-race favourites to win the men’s and women’s crowns, respectively, in the $405,000 Mumbai Marathon.

Lagat, winner of the Sevilla Marathon in 2016, made the 42.195km race his own over the last 10km tostorm his way home in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 15 seconds, the second-best in the 16-year history of the race. The course record of 2:08:35 of his Kenyan compatriot Gideon Kipketar, done in 2016, just about survived the long-legged Lagat’s onslaught after he had left behind all his rivals, including pre-race favourite Abera Kuma of Ethiopia well behind his wake.

In the second place was Aychew Bantie of Ethiopia in 2:10:05s while Akalnew Shumet, also from Ethiopia, took the third spot in 2:10:14s. The man with the best time going into the race, Kuma, finished seventh in 2:13:10s.

The women’s race also became a one-horse course over the last 5km once Ethiopian Alemu split the field with 12km left in the race. Finally, she came home all alone well in front of the others, including defending champion Amane Gobena, in 2:25:45s which was outside the course record. Gobena came in second in 2:26:09s while another Ethiopian woman, Birke Debele, was third in 2:26:39s to mark a clean sweep for the African nation.

Sudha’s personal best

Significantly, Sudha Singh finished on top among the Indian runners while setting a personal best of 2:34:56s, but also dipped well under the qualifying mark of 2:37:00s set by IAAF for the September-October Doha World Championships. Sudha, a 3000m steeplechase specialist, finished eighth overall, ahead of former champion Dinkesh Mekash of Ethiopia who finished in the ninth spot in 2:36:31s. Her earlier personal best in the marathon was 2:35:35s that she clocked while finishing 19th in the 2015 Beijing World Championships. 

The Indian Railways athlete also bettered the national course record of 2:37:29s, which previously stood in the name of OP Jaisha since 2015. This was her third-best finish among the Indians, bringing her on par with Lalita Babar, who did it three times in a row between 2012 and 2014.

Nitendra Singh Rawat end up as the top home country finisher in 2:15:52s, just under the men’s Worlds qualifying mark of 2:16:00s. Rawat, who now plans to take part in the April 29 London Marathon, said the race was good and the time could have been better but there were ups and downs in second half. — PTI

RESULTS

  • Men’s marathon: 1 Cosmas Lagat (Kenya) 2:09:15 2 Aychew Bentie (Ethiopia) 2:10:05 3 Shumet Akalnew (Ethiopia) 2:10:14
  • Women’s marathon: 1 Worknesh Alemu (Ethiopia) 2:25:45 2 Amane Gobena (Ethiopia) 2:26:09 3 Birke Debele (Ethiopia) 2:26:39) 8 Sudha Singh (India) 2:34:56. 
  • Indian men: 1 Nitendra Singh Rawat 2:15:52 2 Gopi Thonakal 2:17:03 3 Karan Singh 2:20:10
  • Indian women: 1 Sudha Singh 2:34:56 2 Jyoti Gawte 2:45:48 3 Jigmet Dolma 3:10:42
  • Women’s half marathon: 1 Meenu Prajapathi 1:18:05 2 Saigeeta Naik 1:19:01 3 Manju Yadav 1:25:11
  • Men’s half marathon: 1 Srinu Bugatha 1:05:49 2 Shankar Man Thapa 1:06:07 3  Kalidas Hirave 1:06:38 
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