New Delhi, February 22 – Mumbai’s Kartik Karkera dominated the 11th edition of the New Delhi Marathon, winning the prestigious title here on Sunday.
Completing the 42.2 kilometers in a remarkable time of two hours and thirteen minutes (02:13:10), Karkera comfortably surpassed the qualifying mark for the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
The 28-year-old, who is a doctor, had to fend off strong challenges from Gopi Thonakal (02:13:12) and Man Singh (02:13:15) to secure the top position.
The intense competition between the three saw them finish within a few seconds of each other, well under the 2:15:04 required for men to qualify for the Asian Games in September.
However, the elite women could not match their male counterparts' stunning performance, falling significantly short of the 2:31:52 mark. Thakor Nirmaben (02:41:15) will be proud of her performance, achieving a high ranking while leaving Bhagirathi (02:43:28) and Ashwini Jadhav (02:56:59) behind.
In other key races, Kuldip Kumar (01:08:51) and Genet Shikur Reshid (01:19:36) emerged victorious in the half-marathons. Ravi Bumbak (01:09:33) and Mohmmad Sahil Anigeri (01:09:41) took the next two positions among men, while Ekta Ekta (01:19:39) and Priti Lamva (01:19:59) achieved the same among women.
The New Delhi Marathon, certified by the AFI as the country's National Marathon, was a resounding success, with over 30,000 runners from 31 countries participating in 490 cities.
Olympic medallist Vijender Singh and tennis star Rohan Bopanna flagged off the key races in the morning and later presented the trophies and prize money to the winners.
Results:
Marathon (Men): 1. Kartik Jayraj Karkera (02:13:10); 2. Gopi Thonakal (02:13:12); 3. Man Singh (02:13:15)
Marathon (Women): 1. Thakor Nirmaben Bharatjee (02:41:15); 2. Bhagirathi (02:43:28); 3. Ashwini Madan Jadhav (02:56:59)
Half-Marathon (Men): 1. Kuldip Kumar (01:08:51); 2. Ravi Bumbak (01:09:33); 3. Mohmmad Sahil Anigeri (01:09:41)
Half-Marathon (Women): 1. Genet Shikur Reshid (01:19:36); 2. Ekta Ekta (01:19:39); 3. Priti Lamva (01:19:59)
10K (Men): 1. Manav Sharma (0:30:40); 2. Prakash Rai (0:30:44); 3. Vishal Singh (0:34:45)
10K (Women): 1. Anjali (0:37:05); 2. Neha Neha (0:41:50); 3. Anupriti Mishra (0:41:48)
