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Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon Elites and Festitivies

Press Release
January 9, 2010

Destination Mumbai!

The Seventh edition of Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon which is scheduled to be held on Sunday, the 17^th January 2010, is all set to witness a much improved show both in terms of elite participation and quality of performance, thanks to an enhanced prize money and status.

The Mumbai Marathon is now upgraded to Gold Label status by IAAF, the World Governing Body for Athletics.   IAAF awards label for various road races based on their past performances and organizational skills.  Mumbai Marathon now has an increase in prize money of USD 310,000 from last year’s 250,000.   The 25% increase brought-in a formidable number of elite runners to this annual event, which incidentally an important feature in the four-leg Greatest Race on Earth (GROE) series!  

The winners in 2010 will have a prize purse of USD 35,000 each with cash awards extended down to 12^th place finishers in the international category and additional incentives to top Indian finishers.  In addition to main marathon, Mumbai also runs a half-marathon, veteran races and wheelchair events besides a ‘fun run’ to raise charity for various causes.    

East Europeans to challenge Africans!

The list of elite athletes obtained from event promoters Procam International shows a couple of athletes from European origin with better credentials to challenge the African monopoly in distance running.   Oleksandr Kuzin of Ukraine with a career best 2:07:33 and Aleksey Sokolov of Russia with a PB of 2:09.07 will lead the challenge as their African rivals Daniel Kiprugut (2:08:38) and David Tarus (2:09:24) try to extend the Kenyan domination on Mumbai streets. 

Among the women, Natalya Volgina of Russia is expected to lead with her timing of 2:27:32 which she clocked when becoming runner-up at Paris Marathon, four years ago.  Veteran Kenyan runner Nyerechi Alice Chelangat is top among African athletes on the Mumbai start-list with a career best 2:26:36 from Milan Marathon of 2001.  Chelangat incidentally finished ninth at last year’s Los Angeles marathon.

O’Brien, the Ambassador!

Decathlete and triple World champion Dan O’Brien will be the brand ambassador for this year’s Mumbai Marathon.   O’Brien, the winner of Atlanta Olympics in 1996 has also won a World title in indoor heptathlon in 1993.  His hat-trick of medals in outdoor global championships came in between 1991 and 1995 has also won two Goodwill Games titles back to back in 1994 and 1998.  O’Brien (43), the multi-event specialist, now a popular television commentator is eager to meet young sporting aspirants on the Indian city to spread the word of goodwill and promote the sport to new horizons.       

Marathon Flame to arrive!

The flame from Marathon, the Greek city from where the culture of greatest running foot race originated will arrive at Mumbai a week before the annual race, a gesture and recognition for Asia’s fast growing and popular marathon.    Mumbaikars will have the honour and pleasure of watching a ‘relay’ of the flame the pre-race week.

Maria Polyzou, the Greece national record-holder in marathon for women, will accompany the Marathon Flame to Mumbai as a representative of City of Marathon and the sporting community of marathoners. 

/ Ram. Murali Krishnan / 

 

 

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