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In a country where marathon running usually takes a backseat to other preliminary sports, Ram Singh Yadav has been one of the few flag bearers who have endeavored to take the sport to limelight of a commoner.Yadav, the U.P. born army runner has had a tumultuous journey so far.
In 2008,Ram Singh Yadav, then 29, beamed with joy after Suresh Kalmadi announced that the marathon runner has made a cut for Beijing Olympics after his 2:18:23 finish at Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. He was on course to become the first Indian marathon runner to compete in Olympics since Shivnath Singh in 1980 only to later discover that he agonizingly missed the mark by three seconds with the ‘B’ qualification mark for Beijing being 2:18:20. He was shattered and crestfallen when Kalmadi later repudiated his earlier proclamation. The embarrassment left an indelible mark on Yadav.
Nevertheless the army man surged forward chasing down his dream of an Olympic berth with great fortitude and perseverance. The 2012 Mumbai Marathon was the momentous race for Yadav. This time though,he left nothing to chance as he crossed the finishing line in 2:16:59 seconds way ahead of the 2:18:00 ‘B’ qualification time for 2012 London games thereby finally making his way in Olympics. In a race where African runners ruled the roost, Yadav was the fastest among his Indian counterparts.
Yadav, the product of Army Sports Institute at Pune, took up running at the age of 10. Little did he have any idea at that time that marathon running is an Olympic discipline. It was his elder brother who later on persuaded him to take up the sport more seriously. Ever since, he had the golden dream of representing India in long distance marathon at the pinnacle. He has made running a part of his own. In a sport which has dearth of financial backup, Yadav has shown exemplary courage to toil day in and day out to realize his dream. He hit the purple patch at the right time in months leading to Olympics. He performed exceedingly well at Mumbai Marathon. He has won in marathon races in different parts of the country. At the Singapore leg of Greatest Race On Earth(GROE), he claimed an impressive16th spot.
As a part of his Olympic preparations, Yadav has been running 30-35 km daily to keep up the tempo and ironing out the flaws. Come the 2012 London Olympics, we can expect an exuberant performance from this army lad. While surging past some of the world’s finest runner might be a herculean task, Yadav does have his eyes set on overhauling Shivnath Singh’s 2:16:00 mark set at 1976 Montreal Olympics.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/02/geeta-creates-history-books-london-olympics-berth/
