New Delhi Marathon 2024: Indian Runners Aim for Paris Olympics Berth
Dara Singh Chahal
New Delhi, 24th Feb 2024: The New Delhi Marathon 2024, set to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday, will serve as a pivotal qualifying event for the Paris Olympics, with Indian athletes eyeing spots in the prestigious international competition.
Leading the men’s field will be Thonakal Gopi, who secured India’s first gold medal at the Asian Marathon Championships in 2017. Gopi T, a seasoned marathoner, represented India at the Rio 2016 Olympics, finishing 25th with a timing of 2:15:25. He holds a personal best of 2:13:39 from the 2019 Seoul Marathon.
Joining Gopi in the race are Srinu Bugatha and Anish Thapa, both competitive contenders with impressive personal bests. Bugatha, who clinched victory in the Indian elite men’s category at the Mumbai Marathon last month, boasts a personal best of 2:14:59, while Thapa’s best stands at 2:16:41.
The qualifying standards for the Paris 2024 Olympics mandate a time of 2:08:10 for men and 2:26:50 for women. To secure berths for the upcoming Summer Games, Indian men will need to surpass the longstanding national record of 2:12:00, set by Shivnath Singh in 1978.
In the women’s category, Nirmaben Thakor Bharatjee will headline the field after her outstanding performance at the Mumbai Marathon, where she clocked a personal best of 2:47:11. The national record in the women’s marathon stands at 2:34:43, achieved by O. P. Jaisha at the 2015 World Athletics Championships.
Recognized by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) as a national event, the ninth edition of the New Delhi Marathon anticipates over 19,000 participants from 289 cities, 27 states, and 19 countries. The event will feature four different races, including the full marathon, half marathon, 10K run, and 5K run, with around 3,000 athletes registered for the full marathon, 7,000 for the half marathon, 5,000 for the 10K run, and 4,000 for the 5K run.
With the Paris Olympics qualification window closing on May 5, athletes are geared up to give their best performances, aiming to secure coveted spots on the global stage.
