Despite sweeping honours in the 21-km-long half marathon, Indian athletes said their experience at the Mumbai Marathon was anything but good and alleged that the organisers had failed to deliver on promises.

Surender Singh and Santosh Kumar, who came first and third respectively in the men’s category, complained about the facilities given to athletes who had come from a camp at Bangalore. “We were promised a good place to stay but we were put in a dormitory and had to pay for our food,” said Armyman Kumar.

Singh said one R Pawar had promised them various facilities and convinced most of them to participate in this year’s event. “I won’t come the next time if this is the way things are done and national athletes are treated so badly,” Singh said.

Finnish runner Jutsi Utriannen, who stood second was put in a five-star hotel, some of the athletes alleged. One of them said, on the condition of anonymity, that they had informed their coach about the incident and he had advised them to speak to the press about it.

Kavita Raut, who won the women’s category, alleged that Pawar promised them they would be put in a five-star hotel and be reimbursed air fare to and from Bangalore. “But only I was in the five-star hotel and the rest were elsewhere. But I stayed with my team-mates else they would have felt I was getting this facility since I am from the home state,” Raut said.

Preeti L Rao, who came third, said: “I was the only girl at the dormitory. We were promised air fare but were given five thousand rupees as fare for three of us,” Preeti said. She said the athletes did not accept it since they felt they wouldn’t get the rest of the money.

However, Pawar said many athletes did not want to stay in lodging given to them and preferred to stay with their team.

Vivek Singh, MD of Procam International, which organised the marathon, said Pawar was not a member of the Athletics Federation of India or an employee of Procam.

Athletes’ accommodations were allotted on the basis of recommendations received from the AFI, he said. He said he would inquire in to the matter and  promised to correct it for the next edition of the race.