New Delhi, February 22: Kartik Jayraj Karkera showed that his victory in the Tata Mumbai Marathon was not a flash in the pan when he claimed top prize ahead of a bunch of Army runners in the Cognizant New Delhi Marathon on Sunday. His 2:13:10 effort is the best time over the distance in India since 1978 when Shivnath Singh set the National record at 2:12:00.
Less than half hour after the 28-year-old orthopedic surgeon completed the flat but iconic course, Nirmaben Bharatjee Thakor ensured that it would be double celebrations for runners who have made Nashik their home by winning the women’s event with a personal best time of 2:41:15 that secured her a victory over defending champion Bhagirathi.
The men’s podium finishers – Gopi Thonakal and Man Singh along with Kartik Karkera – dipped in under the Asian Games qualification time of 2:15:03 set by the Athletics Federation of India. However, no woman runner came within 10 minutes of the rather stiff standard laid down for the Asian Games (2:31:52).
Army runners Gopi Thonakal, Man Singh and A Belliappa, who had clocked personal best times in Valencia, Spain, on December 7 last, had raised high expectations but Kartik Karkera fell back on his training as a middle-distance runner to produce a burst over the final kilometer to leave them in his wake.
“I was on course to get the National record till the 35km mark but I slowed down a bit,” Kartik Karkera said, hinting that he preferred to wait behind the Army runners and unleash a kick that would see him sprint to victory. “My plan was to follow them because I know they are the fastest in India now. I could have made a move earlier but I did not want to risk it.”
If it was the orthopedic doctor who held centre stage in the men’s race when he squared up against the Army runners for the first time this season, it was a Gujarat farmer’s daughter who trained the spotlight in the women’s race. For someone who has not been home in four years, Nirmaben Thakor enjoed the sweet taste of victory in a marathon for the first time on Sunday.
The results:
Marathon Elite
Men: 1. Kartik Jayraj Karkera 2:13:10; 2. Gopi Thonakal 2:13:12; 3. Man Singh 2:13:15.
Women: 1. Nirmaben Bharatjee Thakor 2:41:15; 2. Bhagirathi Bisht 2:43:28; 3. Ashwini Madan Jadhav 2:56:59.
Marathon Open
Men: 1. Chandra Kanth M 2:27:48; 2. Ashok Bind 2:28:25; 3. Nazeem P 2:30:15.
Women: 1. Petra Pastorova 2:59:41; 2. Devangi Purkayastha 3:08:38; 3. Arpita Dhuria 3:11:28.
Half Marathon
Men: 1. Kuldeep Kumar 1:08:52; 2. Ravi Bumbak 1:09:33; 3. Mohmmad Sahil Annigeri 1:09:38.
Women: 1. Genet Shikur Reshid 1:19:36; 2. Ekta 1:19:39; 3. Priti Lamba 1:19:59.
10km
Men: 1. Manav Sharma 30:40; 2. Prakesh Kumar 30:44; 3. Vishal Singh 34:05.
Women: 1. Anjali Devi 37:05; 2. Neha 41:30; 3. Anuprati Mishra 41:48.
5km
Men: 1. Durgesh Kumar 21:08; 2. Manohar Singh Chauhan 21:14; 3. Vikas Yadav 21:17
Women: 1. Surya Sekhar 29:44; 2. Laiba Ali 29:47; 3. Catherine Awunghsi Shimrei 30:08.
Photo: Courtesy New Delhi Marathon
