17 January,2011 09:53 AM IST | | Ashwin Ferro
That's what the Mumbai Marathon has been elevated to after yesterday's grand show in terms of timings
The Mumbai Marathon received the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Gold Label status, confirming it as one of the more prestigious competitions in the road racing calendar, in 2010. However, it has proved its gold-worthiness only a year later ufffd in 2011 ufffd after Ethiopians Girma Assefa, Botor Segaye Wolde ran the 42.195 km race in a sub-2:10 time for the first time in the event's eight-year history yesterday.
Assefa breasted the tape in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 54 seconds, followed by compatriot Botor Segaye, three seconds apart (2:09:57s) and Kenya's Patrick Muriuki who stood third clocking 2:10:00s. All three were well inside Kenyan Kenneth Mungara's 2009 course record of 2:11:51 seconds.
Fifteen races enjoy the IAAF's Gold Label Status. They are Paris, London, Berlin, Frankfurt, Athens, Rome, Boston, Chicago, New York, Xiamen, Beijing, Tokyo, Otsu, Seoul and Mumbai. And of these only the Mumbai race was hitherto not run within 2 hours and 10 minutes.
It was no wonder then that Mumbai Marathon race director Hugh Jones was ecstatic after the official timings were announced moments after the full marathon ended at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus here yesterday.
"This is a very proud moment for the Mumbai Marathon. It took time coming (eight editions to be precise) but this timing has taken the Mumbai Marathon right up there among the world's top marathons. I did predict a new course record, but a sub-2:10 time is wonderful," said Jones, who holds the distinction of being the first athlete to set a sub-2:10 time (2:09:24) in the 1982 London Marathon.
In fact, elite athletes co-ordinator Ian Ladbroke was almost certain of a course record much before the race was over. Half-way through the marathon, he confirmed to mediapersons that a course record looked imminent.
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"When I noted that the athletes had touched the half-way mark in 64 mins and 35 seconds, I was confident that a course record would be set," Ladbroke said.
"This was the strongest men's field we have ever had at the Mumbai Marathon and given the favourable weather this time round in Mumbai, I had predicted that that a sub-2:10 timing was a possibility and I'm glad the athletes have proved me right. This is a significant step forward for the Mumbai Marathon. It is certainly grown to be one of the better races," he added.
Mercury levels in the city dropped to a three-year low last week and according to both Jones and Ladbroke even a slight change inu00a0 temperature could have a huge impact on the race, as was proved this time. Winner Girma admitted that the weather was indeed ideal. "The weather has been very good. I hope to come back next year to Mumbai and win again," he said.
