Defending champions Gopi, Sudha to lead Indian field

Defending champions Thonakal Gopi and Sudha Singh will lead the Indian elite field at the Tata Mumbai Marathon, 2019. Course record holder Nitendra Singh Rawat and 2014 and 2015 Indian winner Karan Singh are also participating.

The $405,000 prize money event will witness India’s best joining the world class athletes at the 16th edition of the IAAF Gold Label race on January 20.   

Gopi, who had a timing of 2:16:51 here, will face-off with the Mumbai Marathon course record holder Rawat (2:15:48). The 2017 Asian Marathon Champion (2:15:31) Gopi’s best performance came in at the 2016 Rio Olympics, with a time of (2:15:25). This is also the fastest time clocked by an Indian on foreign Soil.

Nitendra participated in South Asian Games Full Marathon, 2016 completing the race in 2:15:18 and Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, 2017 where he is a national record holder with 1:03:53.

Joining these champions will be Karan, the Vasai Virar Marathon 2018 Winner, who clocked 2:22:17 at the event. He was also the second runner-up at the Indira Marathon 2018 in Allahabad, with a timing of 2:22:46.  

The women’s contingent in Full Marathon will be led by defending champion Sudha and twice Mumbai Marathon winner Jyoti Gawte.

Sudha won silver in the 3000m steeplechase at Asian Games 2018. She also bagged the second place amongst the Indian women with the timing of 1:29:11 at the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K in 2018.

The defending champion’s most notable timings have been 2:35:35 at the World Championship 2015 in Beijing, China and 1:11:30 in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2016.

Jyoti Gawte, a winner at the Mumbai Marathon in 2017 with the timing 2:50:53, will also vie for a podium spot in the full marathon women’s category.

Monika Raut, who bagged the second place in National Delhi Marathon, 2016 and 6th  place amongst Indian women at the Tata Steel 25K in 2017 with timings 2:55:39 and 1:36:08, will also be a part of the women’s field at TMM 2019.

In the half marathon category, the men’s group will be led by Kalidas Hirave and Man Singh. Kalidas won the BSF Half Marathon 2017, with a time of 1:03:27. He secured the 2nd place and 4th place in Tata Steel 25K in 2017 and Airtel Delhi Marathon 2018 with the timing of 1:16:18 and 1:04:25, respectively.

Man, an Indian runner who completed the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2018 with the timing of 1:05:49, will also be a part of the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2019.

In the women’s half marathon category, Manju Yadav and Saigeeta Naik are one of the primary contenders for a podium finish.

Manju was the winner of National Marathon 2017 in the half marathon category with a timing of 1:20:59, whereas Saigeeta completed the Vasai Virar Marathon with a timing of 1:18:55.

“We are delighted to see the small but significant part that the Mumbai Marathon has played in improving the performance of Indian athletes on home soil and also at international platforms. Over the years, our course has seen much rivalry for the top spot, and it is this spirit of competition that makes runners want to better their performance at India’s most sought after marathon,” said Vivek Singh, Jt. MD of Procam International which organises many marathons across the World.

The podium winners stand to win five lakhs, four lakhs and three lakhs respectively in the full marathon and Rs 1,50,000; Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 75,000 in the half marathon.

There is also a course record jackpot of rupees two lakhs for the Indian winners.