Over 46,000 registrations for 16th edition of iconic marathon on Sunday, 20th January
Saturday, 19th January 2019: The world’s finest distance runners are geared up for the 16th edition of the prestigious Tata Mumbai Marathon 2019, which will be flagged off on Sunday, 20th January. With a record participation of over 46,000 runners, the IAAF Gold Label Race will be flagged off from outside the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). The total prize money awarded will be USD 405,000.
With a stellar line up of Elite Indian Athletes, this year will see the participation of 8,414 runners in the Full Marthon, 15,457 in Half Marathon, 2,516 in Timed 10K, 17,661 in Dream Run, 1,005 in Senior Citizens Run, and 1,301 in Champions with Disability.
In the men’s elite race, leading the pack is the fastest man in the running field — Abera Kuma from Ethopia — with a personal best of 02:05:50, aiming for Tata Mumbai Marathon course record, whereas in the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Amane Gobena with her personal best timing of 02:21:51 is all set to defend women’s title.
The other elite athletes to look out for will be Mongolian Marathon record holder, Serod Batochir, Dinknesh Mekash from Bekoji, Ethopia (known as the ‘Town of Runners’), and Kenya’s Jacob Kendagor.
The Indian men’s race is also expected to be a close encounter. Defending Champion and Asian Marathon Champion, Gopi Thonakal will face a strong opposition with the Tata Mumbai Marathon course record holder Nitendra Singh Rawat. The other big names in the fray are Rashpal Singh, who has PB of 2:19:19, Karan Singh with a PB of 2:22:17, and Bahadur Singh Dhoni with a PB of 2:19:13 .
The Elite Indian women’s athletes contingent will be led by the Asian & Commonwealth Steeplechase Gold Medallist and Defending Champion Sudha Singh. She will face stiff competition from Jyoti Gawte, the two-time Mumbai Marathon winner.
As part of the distance running tradition, promoters Procam International organised the ‘Pasta Lunch’. The event witnessed a live pasta cook-out involving event ambassador Mary Kom, and renowned faces from various fields.
Promoting the fitness regime, the race day will see in tracks various personalities from the government of India, India Inc. and Bollywood. Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra Dinesh Kumar Jain; Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Sunil Porwal; Principal Secretary to CM, B.A Gagrabi; Collector and District Magistrate, Shivaji Jondhale will be seen running the half marathon. Representing India Inc will be some of the country’s top corporate leaders, which include Mr N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons; Anil Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Group; Gagan Banga, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd, among others.
The Bollywood fraternity will be represented by Karthik Aaryan, who will flag off the Family Planning Association campaign, Renowned Actress Kajal Aggarwal, Parth Samthaan, Rahul Bose, and fitness enthusiast, Tara Sharma, amongst others.
The Amateur Marathon will start at 5:30 am from CST, followed by Half Marathon at 5:30 am from Worli Dairy and Full Marathon Elite Men and Women at 7:20 am from CST. These will be followed by the Timed 10K Run which starts at 6:20 am followed by the Champions with Disability at 7:25 am, the Senior Citizens’ Run at 7:50 am, and the Dream Run at 8:15 am.
To ensure an injury free run, Asian Heart Institute (AHI), the Medical Partner to the event for the past 15 years in succession will be present on ground with their entire medical infrastructure in place. Asian Heart Institute can aptly handle any medical emergency — injuries, dehydration, or any other complication arising due to long distance running, along the route.
·Ambulances: 11
·Medical Personnel on Duty: 600
·Medics on bikes: 8
·Spotter placed every 100m for the last 2 kms of the race to identify participants who need medical attention.
·Medical Stations: 12 (including 2 Base Camps)
·Medical Station Locations: 2 Stations at Jazz By the Bay on Marine Drive, 1 station at Chowpatty, 1 Station at Peddar Road – Cadbury House, 1 Station Before WorliSealink, 1 Station at Dr. Annie Besant Road, 1 Station at Caddel Road, 1 Station at Bandra Reclamation before the Toll Naka, 1 Station at Aarey Dairy Junction at Worli, 1 Station at Parsi Dairy after Princess Street Flyover
From an all-time high in the participation numbers in the full marathon category to the association of Magnificent Mary Kom with the Tata Mumbai Marathon, this iconic marathon truly exemplifies the prodigious journey of running in India.
Race Day proceedings will be live on Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD 1, and Hotstar, the Channel Partner from 7.00 to 11.30 am.
