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The 2015 Mumbai Marathon takes place on Sunday, January 18 to kick-start the new running season in the country. India’s premier running event over the years has helped bridge the gap between Indian elite athletes and the international elite.It has provided Indian runners with a platform to compete with the best in the world. There is separate prize money for the best Indian finishers with that in mind and this event has seen some of the best national performances. Here we take a look at the top Indian athletes competing at this year’s event
#1 Lalita Babbar
25-year-old Babbar is a three-time winner here in the Indians category at the Mumbai Marathon and also the holder of the course record having set a time of 2:50:31 in her win last year. She completed a hat-trick of victories when she won last year, making her the most successful athlete at the event. She’s also started doing the 3,000m steeplechase for India in which she won the bronze at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, last year.
#2 Karan Singh
Karan Singh was Babbar’s contemporary, having won in the men’s category last year. Hailing from the Army Institute of Sports, Pune, Singh won in a time of 2:24.08 last year. In the lead up to the event Singh has said that he has prepared well and that he is determined to retain his title. “After the Asian Games last September, I have trained for the last couple of months and hope to do well to win again and with a better timing” Karan said.
#3 Ram Singh Yadav
Ram Singh Yadav is the course record holder in the men’s category among Indian runners having set the record in 2012 when he finished in a time of 02:16:59. The 34-year-old havildar in the Indian Army also trains at the Pune-based Army Sports Institute. Through his 2012 race in fact, Ram Singh achieved Olympic qualification, running well under the B qualification standard, after having missed out four years ago in 2008. He is only the second Indian to have ever managed to qualify for the marathon event at the Olympics.
#4 Rashpal Singh
Another representative from the armed forces, the man from the Sikh Regiment, Jabalpur Centre finished second last year. He finished just 30 seconds behind Karan Singh last year and he has vowed to do better and even break the course record this time around. “I am happy to run this Mumbai Marathon and I hope to win this race and break the previous record of 2:16.59 secs set in 2012 by Ram Singh Yadav,” Rashpal said.
#5 O. P. Jaisha
Veteran athlete Jaisha from Kerala is also in the fray in the women’s category this year. She is running the marathon for the first time having previously participated in middle and long distance events such as the 1500m, 3000m, 3000m steeplechase and 5000m. She is, in fact, a gold medal winner in the 1500 and 3000 at the Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok (2005). “I have participated in the 5,000 metres before but I will be running the Marathon for the first time. I will go flat out and try to finish at the top,” Jaisha said.
