Marathon for many, fun in the sun for most as Mumbai goes for a run
SPORTSMEN, GLITTERATI AND BUSINESS HEADS JOIN NINTH EDITION OF EVENT
Mumbai (IANS) It was like a huge party on the streets.
From Bollywood personalities, top business honchos, people in wheelchairs and even Subhas Chandra Bose and Manmohan Singh lookalikes — thousands swarmed the streets of Mumbai yesterday to participate in the ninth edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2012.
The marathon brought together nearly 39,000 people from all over the world.
The event is now considered among the top marathons in the world, having got a national status. Befittingly, the total prize money was also increased to $340,000 (Dh1.2 million), an increase of $15,000 over what was on offer last year.
For the record, Kenya’s Laban Moiben won the men’s 42km full marathon i n a photo f i nish while Ethiopia’s Netsanet Abeyo emerged on top in the women’s category.
Moiben and Ethiopia’s Raji Assefa both f inished in 2:10.48 but Kenyan was declared the winner. Another Kenyan, John Kyui, was third in 2:10.54.
India’s Ram Singh Yadav clocked 2:16. 59 to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, a f irst for any Indian athlete. He was followed by Alam Singh ( 2: 18. 27) and T.A. Rajesh (2:24.25).
For a city that does not boast of a great running culture, thousands thronged the starting points of the race as early as 5.15am to start the event.
The traff i c police ensured those who were not part of the marathon had little inconvenience, using road diversions to facilitate the event. While some roads were closed for vehicular traffic from 5am to 1pm, traff ic was diverted to others. Emergency and utility vehicles were, however, allowed access to even restricted roads.
Star participants such as model and actor Milind Soman who runs the full marathon every year and business tycoon Anil Ambani, who participated in the half marathon this year, were seen in full energy as they started off the run.
“It gives me great pleasure to participate in the Mumbai marathon every year,” Soman said before he began.
Also participating this ye a r we r e S i d d h a r t h Mallya, socialite and son o f b u s i n e s s man Vi j ay Mallya, actors Anil Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, Rahul Bose, Ranbir Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Perizaad Zorabian, Gul Panag, Neha Dhupia, Tara Sharma, singer Shaan and hordes of television actors like Rohit and Ronit Roy and others.
Major attraction
Ever since the f irst edition of the race in 2004, the marathon has grown into an event that epitomises what is popularly referred to as the spirit of Mumbai.
The Bandra-worli Sea Link proved to be a major attraction for most runners.
Two participants, however, collapsed while running on the route due to fatigue. They were immediately given first aid and moved to a hospital where they were stable under medical care.
Bollywood actor John Abraham and former ten- nis star Vijay Amritraj were also present as event ambassadors, cheering the marathoners.
The Wheelchair and Senior Citizens’ Run won everybody’s admiration for their sheer will and enthusiasm.
Ac t o r s Ani l Ka p o o r and Gulshan Grover also cheered senior citi zens during the marathon i n which about 1,800 seniors participated. Tina Ambani, wife of tycoon Anil Ambani, who promotes a better lifestyle for senior citizens through her magazine Harmony, also cheered for elder participants.
A group of 25 differently-abled students of the School for the Education of the Crippled caught the eye as they participated in the Wheelchair Event despite various physical disabilities including cerebral palsy and congenital defects.
Aged between 12 and 15, the students were accompanied by alumni and staff members at the race to raise awareness about the treatment of the physically challenged in the city. Also attracting attention were those dressed up as personalities such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Subhas Chandra Bose, Manmohan Singh and even Osama Bin Laden.