Mumbai, January 18 (NationPress) Ethiopian athletes Tadu Abate Deme and Yeshi Kalayu Chekole celebrated significant victories at the 21st Mumbai Marathon, a prestigious World Athletics gold label event, conducted on Sunday. The top Indian finishers were Sanjivani and Kartik.

The leading three finishers earned prize money of USD 50,000, USD 25,000, and USD 15,000, respectively.

This marked Yeshi Chekole's inaugural major marathon victory, despite her experience in the marathon distance since 2019. The 28-year-old executed her strategy well, as she had discussed in a pre-race interview, maintaining a calm demeanor and finishing powerfully.

A group of approximately a dozen Ethiopian women commenced the race together, including last year's third-place finisher, Medina Deme Armino, and Shure Demise, who previously recorded a personal best of 2:20:59 in Dubai eleven years ago.

Armino aimed for victory this year, given the absence of last year's top two finishers, Joyce Chepkemoi and Shitaye Eshete. Utilizing her familiarity with the Mumbai course from past experiences, she initially led the race. However, she soon fell behind the leader, Kidsan Alema.

Yeshi maintained her position alongside Kidsan and two others, Gojjam Tesgaye and Birke Debele, until three-fourths of the distance was covered. She then broke away, running solo for the remainder of the race, ultimately crossing the finish line in 2:25:13, marking the fifth-fastest time among Mumbai winners.

“I am thrilled to be crowned Champion today. I aimed to break the course record, though I faced some challenges with the weather. Nevertheless, I am very pleased with the outcome. I felt strong and positive throughout the race, especially on the uphill and downhill sections,” Yeshi remarked post-race.

Kidsan noted the encouragement from the spectators throughout the race. “During the middle of the race, my body became slightly overheated, causing me to lag behind the leading group,” she added.

In the men’s elite marathon, Kenyan Leonard Kiprotich Langat was engaged in a fierce battle with last year's runner-up Merhawi Kesete from Eritrea and Tadu Abate from Ethiopia right from the start. Uganda's 2023 World Marathon Champion Victor Kiplangat and Ethiopian Gada Gemsisa kept pace until the halfway mark.

Abate and Langat exchanged the lead until 40 km, with Kesete trailing by about 50 meters. Abate surged ahead in the final kilometer, while Langat struggled to close the gap. The Ethiopian triumphed with a time of 2:09:55, followed by Langat at 2:10:10 and Kesete at 2:10:22.

With this victory, Ethiopia clinched both the men’s and women’s titles simultaneously in Mumbai for the seventh occasion.

“It was an intensely competitive and tactical race from start to finish. The course posed challenges, yet it was well-organized, and the roads were in excellent condition,” Langat stated.

A delighted Tadu expressed, “I am overjoyed to win this race and grateful to the organizers and all our partners. The hills presented a challenge, but once I found my rhythm after halfway, I focused on conserving energy and choosing the right moments. My body felt good, and I’m thrilled to be here in Mumbai and win.”

Sanjivani Jadhav has been synonymous with distance running in India for over a decade. However, her debut marathon performance brought her immense joy, finishing her first attempt in 2:49:02, placing tenth overall among women and first among Indian women. Reflecting on her success, she said, “I’m extremely happy, I feel fantastic. This was my first marathon, and I won. After 35 km, I knew I was going to secure gold.”

The seasoned Nirmaben Thakor, who aimed for a hat-trick of marathon victories, finished second at 2:49:13. She remarked, “I trained hard and aimed for gold, but it wasn’t my day; perhaps next time.”

Sonam secured third place with a time of 2:49:24, describing the race as a valuable learning experience rather than a fierce competition. “I kept pace with my senior and trained with her,” she said. “I learned how to manage my speed and run a marathon. It wasn’t a fight; we were like sisters running together.”

Kartik Karkera, training in Russia, participated in only his second marathon. Initially, he garnered little attention with a modest 2:30:30, placing fifteenth at last year's Moscow Marathon. Typically a metric mile specialist, Kartik surpassed experienced Indian road runners like Anish Thapa and Srinu Bugatha in today’s race, achieving a personal best of 2:19:55 and earning the title of Top Indian Male runner in Mumbai.

After his triumph, Kartik remarked, “This was my first marathon in Mumbai, and winning on my debut feels incredible. I had to push through the challenging course, but I enjoyed my time in Mumbai and participating in this unique race. My next objective is to qualify for the Asian Games.”

Defending champion Anish Thapa demonstrated his consistency at the Mumbai Marathon with another strong performance, finishing second in 2:20:08. He remained competitive throughout the race, ultimately securing a podium position. He shared his thoughts, “I’m delighted to finish second, but I believe I could have performed better.”

Pradeep Chaudhary concluded the race in third place with a time of 2:20:49 and reflected on a difficult competition. “I was incredibly nervous, and midway through the race, I experienced cramps, which forced me to take a brief stop. The upcoming season is crucial for me, with a packed schedule that includes the Asian Games,” he stated.

The top three finishers in both the Indian elite men’s and women’s categories received prizes of Rs 5 lakh, 4 lakh, and 3 lakh, respectively.