12th VVMCM: Hirave Claims Victory in Men's Full Marathon; Verma and Sonika Excel in Half-Marathon

Virar, Dec 8 (NationPress) A refreshing breeze and delightful weather conditions led to an impressive performance by elite athletes, who set new course records and personal bests during the half marathon at the 12th Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation Marathon (VVMCM) on Sunday. Recognized as one of the premier running events in the nation, the marathon featured a prize pool of Rs 58 lakh.

With a remarkable time of 2 hours 18 minutes and 19 seconds, Kalidas Hirave from Satara narrowly missed the course record by just five seconds, yet triumphantly secured the top spot in the men's marathon. Close behind him was his friend Pradeep Singh Chaudhary, finishing just five seconds later. Mohit Rathore, a two-time champion and course record-holder, came in third with a time of 2:19.06.

Hirave, who fell short of his personal best by five seconds, expressed, “I was unsure about participating here and had initially planned to train for the 42 km distance with a friend in Vasai. I decided to compete at the last moment.” He received Rs 3 lakh as his prize money.

In the men’s half-marathon, a thrilling photo-finish determined the top two placements, with Rohit Verma of the Navy edging out Nitesh Rathva by a mere second. Impressively, the top five runners outperformed the previous course record of 1:04.37 set by Anish Thapa in 2019, and all achieved their personal bests. Verma earned Rs 2 lakh for his victory.

Deepak Kumbhar from Kolhapur, who led until the 17 km mark, faced calf pain, ultimately finishing in third place, just three seconds behind Rathva. “I lost my position in the last 10 meters due to cramps,” he shared.

The tall and athletic Verma remarked on the course, saying, “The pleasant weather made running effortless, and I encountered no challenges.”

Sonika, a farmer’s daughter from Haryana and a Railway employee, dominated the women’s half-marathon with a time of 1:13.22, setting a new course record and achieving her personal best. The previous record belonged to Ujala, who clocked 1:13.33 in 2022.

Bharti, also from Haryana, finished second with a time of 1:13.51, followed by Sakshi Jadyal at 1:14.51.

“It was a great race, and if defending champion Prajakta Godbole had participated, the competition would have been even tougher,” Sonika noted, adding that she pulled ahead at the 17 km mark. She received Rs 2 lakh as her prize money.

“I’m currently seeking employment,” stated Bharti, who also hails from Haryana. “I enjoyed the course and will return next year.”

Sakshi Jadyal, a college student from Ulhasnagar, was motivated by the pilot vehicles and volunteers. It was her first time running here, and despite suffering from stomach cramps at the 5 km mark, she was encouraged by the volunteers and managed to finish the race.

Olympic and Commonwealth medallist Sakshi Malik, who officiated the event by flagging off the 15,000 participants as the brand ambassador, was “amazed” by the enthusiasm and spirit displayed by participants of all ages. “It’s wonderful to see both the young and old engaging in such events. It’s vital for everyone to adopt a sport and pursue it for their health,” she remarked while congratulating all medalists and participants.

The marathon was organized by the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation and the Vasai Virar Kala Kreeda Vikas Mandal, with promotion from Aryanz Sports.

Results (all provisional)

Marathon

1. Kalidas Hirave 2 hours 18 minutes 19 seconds; 2. Pradeep Singh Chaudhary 2:18:24; 3. Mohit Rathore 2:19:06; 4. Dhanavat Pralhad Ramsing 2:19:49; 5. Amit Ramesh Patil 2:25:13.

Half Marathon

Men (all under course record of 1:04.37): 1. Rohit Verma 1:03:12; 2. Niteshkumar Rathva 1:03:13; 3. Deepak Kumbhar 1:03:16; 4. Rinku Singh 1:04:07; 5. Shubham Sindhu 01:04:13

Women: 1. Sonika 1:13:12 (new course record); 2. Bharti 1:13:51; 3. Sakshi Jadyal 1:14:21; 4. Archana Jadhav 1:14:50; 5. Tamsi Singh 1:16:36.