10. Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon/India – Valentine Kipketer posts a World Leading 2:24:33 to win the Mumbai Marathon – / By Ram. Murali Krishnan /

Mumbai, India – 20 January 2013 – Running only the second marathon of her career, Valentine Kipketer salvaged some pride to Kenya in otherwise Ethiopian dominated terrain as she clocked the season's world leading 2:24:33 to win the women's race in the 10^th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon here today.

Kipketer, turned 20 just a fortnight ago, finished a credible fourth in Hamburg last April.  There she clocked a decent 2:28:02 in her debut.  The Kenyan, running an all-out race on one of the toughest courses in the World, was briefly accompanied by pre-race favourite Aberu Mekuria and her Ethiopian teammate Dinknesh Mekash. 

Mekash started pushing Kipketer when the race was half-way through.  "I feel the heat for a good kilometre before accelerating to the front" Kipketer admitted in the post-event briefing.

When she approached the Marine Drive on her return journey the Kenyan was on her own, but did not slow her tempo.  She approached the finish-line such an ease and went past the timer in a remarkable 2:24:33-new course record, Indian all-comers record and also the season's best time for a marathoner in the World.  But more than anything the first ever victory for a woman runner from her country in Mumbai in 10 years!

Ethiopian Fatuma Sado's 2:27:35 clocked the previous world lead during Xiamen marathon in China just fifteen days ago.

The Ethiopian women filled nine out of ten places for which prize money was offered, but disappointed the Event Ambassador and multiple world record-holder Haile Gebraselassie from their country, after given away the top spot to Kipketer.  The Kenyan received a course record bonus of USD 15,000 apart from the winner's prize of USD 40,000.

Dinknesh Mekash (2:28:46) and Aberu Mekuria (2:29:03) completes the podium with Kipketer.

Kiprop become the first Ugandan to win in Mumbai

Everywhere in the World the debutant marathoners are the runners to be watched as they used to pull surprise results and Mumbai was no exception.  With four runners-three Ethiopians besides Jackson Kiprop of Uganda-tried their luck for the first time on the 42.195 km distance, the anticipation was more on the men's race.

Commenced with three pace-makers, as much as a dozen runners went past the first 10 km in a modest 30:14.  The mercury level went up after a cool 7:20 a.m. start but a pleasant breeze from the sea greeted them along as they approached the iconic  "Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link"  just before the 15^th KM mark..

Eritrean Mulue Andom paced around five runners on a good part of the race after two others from South Africa and Kenya started trailing as the leading pack was just 10 km from the finish.  Andom allowed the five runners-Kiprop, Kenyans Laban Moiben and Elijah Kemboi, Ethiopians Jacob Cheshari and Abraham Girma-to take care of their business afterwards. 

The lead pack went together until they start climbing on the fly-over in Peddar Road but nearing Jaslok Hospital Jackson, Girma and Moiben moved fast.  When the runners approached 36^th Km around 1 hr 50 mins Jackson break-away from others. 

Ethiopia's Cheshari, another debutant like Kiprop, charged the leader and started running with the Ugandan shoulder-to-shoulder for a brief time before giving-up when the duo were less than five kilometre from the finish.   However Cheshari kept his distance within 100m from Kiprop.

Kiprop went on to win the event in a new course record, as well as another Indian all-comers' record, time of 2:09:32 to pocket USD 55,000.  A first for Uganda in men's race like the one Kipketer had given to Kenya on the women's event.  

Cheshari finished second in 2:09:43, also bettered the previous course mark of 2:09:54 held by his country-mate Assefa Girma since 2011 while Elijah Kemboi brought Kenya the bronze in 2:10:03.

The 26-year-old Kiprop was a training partner of London Olympics marathon gold medallist Stephen Kiprotich and did some pacing job for other runners earlier.  When asked what he is proposed to do with the prize money, he revealed his ambition to build a house.

Centenarian Fauja Singh, Octogenarian Asish Roy provides a touch of glimmer

Fauja Singh, who will be turning 102 in coming April, was a cynosure of all eyes as he stepped on the start-line for the 4.3 km senior citizens' race.  Singh, born in the Punjab state of India and currently lives in England, join the ‘pedestrianism' only after his 80^th birthday and travelled a good part of the World taking part in various distance races in the past two decades.  "Probably the Hong Kong marathon in February would be my last race" he told during a chat with the media just a day before, although he looks pretty good to pull on for some more years!

Dr. Asish Roy's case was different.  At 81, he already ran more than hundred races and the cardiologist from Delhi had already written a book on running to share his experience with the younger generation.

Binning Lyngkhoi and Lalita Babbar were top among the Indian runners who took part here.  Babbar, holds the best mark for Indian women in Mumbai, clocked 2:53:42 for the INR 450,000 prize for the leading Indian athlete but barely missed the INR 100,000 bonus money as she fell short of her last year's time by 7 secs.

Sudha Singh, inaugural winner of women's 3000m steeplechase in the Asian Games in 2010, is good on half-marathon circuit and she proved it again with a win in 1:17:24.  The men's race was won by Nitender Singh in 1:06:16.

More than 38,000 runners took part in this year's Mumbai Marathon in different categories which now includes a 2.5 km race for Champions with Disability.  As usual pledges have been raised for charity and is expected to go around INR 170 millions.  

 

Leading Results:  

 

MEN:

1. Jackson Kiprop UGA 2:09:32

2. Jacob Cheshari ETH 2:09:43

3. Elijah Kemboi KEN 2:10:03

4. Abraham Girma ETH 2:10:15

5. Laban Moiben KEN 2:10:55

6. Abay Tadesse ETH 2:14:44

7. Dese Endris ETH 2:14:37

8. Ashenafi Katema ETH 2:16:35

9. Desta Gebrehiwet ETH 2:17:05

10. Argachew Tola ETH 2:18:44

 

WOMEN:

1. Valentine Kipketer KEN 2:24:33

2. Dinknesh Mekash ETH 2:28:46

3. Aberu Mekuria ETH 2:29:03

4. Fantu Jimma ETH 2:30:22

5. Yeshimebet Tadesse ETH 2:30:52

6. Megra Marta ETH 2:31:01

7. Desta Tadesse ETH 2:31:44

8. Kidist Fiseha ETH 2:39:42

9. Sosena Tekle ETH 2:39:45

10. Zeytuna Arba ETH 2:40:03

 

Half-Marathon

MEN:

1. Nitender Singh IND 1:06:16

2. Sachin Patil IND 1:09:01

3. Atwa Bhajat IND 1:09:32

 

WOMEN:

1. Sudha Singh IND 1:17:24

2. Ritu Pal IND 1:19:19

3. Monika Athare IND 1:19:28  

 

/ Ram. Murali Krishnan /