Lalita Shivaji Babar from the Satara district of Maharashtra, demonstrated good form in WC with her 9:27.86.
This was all the more impressive, as she had been focusing on the marathon for the past couple of years. Mumbai offers big money - and Babar comes from a farming family, so you can understand the motivation.
With the re-arrival of Dr Nikolai Snesarev - who asked for a salary of $7000 from AFI - the female runners have improved a lot. Snesarev focuses on Indian female development, because girls from modest backgrounds are compliant. Males are generally lazy and rebellious in India as they have been too cosseted by their mothers.
Babar ran 2:38:21 in Mumbai in January, second behind new Indian record - 2:37:29by OP Jaisha.
Following Dr Snesarev's appointment to AFI and a big salary in rupees close to $7000 per month - celebrated Indian coach - Bhatia (Lucknow, U.P) resigned and walked out of the training camp.
At a previous camp some years earlier Bhatia and Snesarev had almost come to blows, with AFI taking sides with the enigmatic/volatile globe trotting coaching mercenary.
Bhatia lamented that years of work with Sudha, Babita and other female runners were not recognized by AFI, not to mention only getting a tiny fraction of Snesarev's big ( for India) salary.
It will be interesting to see how things progress for the diminutive farm girl - Babita, and the dour, tenacious - Dr Nikolai Snesarev.
Ghost in Khon Khaen, Thailand