JOIN USKipketer storms to win
Kenya’s Gideon Kipketer won the men’s race in an all-East African clean sweep of the podium by setting a new course record in the 13th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on Sunday.
Kipketer took over the sole lead midway through the return leg of the race and stopped the clock at 2:08:35, shaving almost a full second off the 2013 record of 2:09:32 set by Ugandan Jackson Kiprop.
Kipketer, who won USD 56,000, including the bonus of USD 15,000 for breaking the course record, was followed home in second place by Ethiopia’s Seboka Dibaba in 2:09:20 and Marius Kimutai of Kenya (2:09:39).
The corresponding women’s crown was clinched by Ethiopian runner Shuko Genemo in 2:27:50 followed by Kenya’s Bornes Kitur (2:32:00), while Valentine, whose shoe lace got untied at the 29-km mark when she was closely trailing the winner, finished a distant third in 2:34:07.
For India, the highlight was the breaking of the four-year-old course record for Indians (2:16:59) by two Army Sports Institute of Pune runners — Nitendra Singh Rawat and Gopi T — and the Rio Olympic Games qualifying mark bettered by this duo. Uttarkhand’s Rawat, who had already qualified for the Olympics at the World Military Games in South Korea, did better than that when he finished overall 10th.
Among the Indian women, Sudha Singh got the best spot, 7th, by clocking 2:39:28, while her distance running compatriots Lalita Babar and OP Jaisha ended up in 10th and 11th with slow timings of 2:41:55 and 2:43:26.
The results (top 3 positions):
Men’s marathon: Gideon Kipketer (Ken) 2:08:35 1; Seboka Dibaba (Eth) 2:09:20, 2; Marius Kimutai (Ken) 2:09:39, 3. Women’s marathon: Shuko Genemo (Eth) 2:27:50, 1; Bornes Kitur (Ken) 2:32:00, 2; Valentine Kipketer (Ken) 2:34:07, 3.
Men’s half marathon: Deepak Bapu Kumbhar (Ind) 01:06:01, 1; A B Belliappa (Ind) 01:06:37, 2; Indrajeet Patel (Ind) 01:06:59, 3. Women’s half marathon: Monika Raut (Ind) 1:17:20, 1; Manisha Salunkhe (Ind) 01:19:17, Monika Athare (Ind) 01:20:08.