New Delhi, February 22 Kartik Karkera dominated the streets of the capital to win the 11th New Delhi Marathon, and along with two others, met the qualifying standard for this year's Asian Games here on Sunday.
Completing the 42.2 kilometers in a remarkable time of two hours and thirteen minutes (02:13:10), Mumbai-based Karkera comfortably surpassed the qualifying mark for the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
A doctor by profession, the 28-year-old had to fend off a strong challenge from Gopi Thonakal (02:13:12) and Man Singh (02:13:15) to eventually take the top position on the podium.
The intense competition between the three saw them cross the finish line within a few seconds of each other, well under the 2:15:04 required for men to compete in the Asian Games in September.
However, the elite women could not match their male counterparts' stunning performance, falling far 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.
The New Delhi Marathon, the AFI-certified National Marathon of the country, proved to be a resounding success, with over 30,000 runners from 31 countries and 490 cities participating.
Olympic medallist boxer Vijender Singh and tennis star Rohan Bopanna flagged off key races in the morning, and later, presented the trophies and prize money to the winners.
In the other key races, Kuldip Kumar (01:08:51) and Genet Shikur Reshid (01:19:36) secured the top positions in the half-marathons.
Ravi Bumbak (01:09:33) and Mohammad Sahil Anigeri (01:09:41) took the next two positions among men, as did Ekta Ekta (01:19:39) and Priti Lamva (01:19:59) among women.
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. Mohammad 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)