Month: October 2019

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BRIGID KOSGEI SETS A NEW WORLD RECORD IN WOMEN’S MARATHON

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, owner of the new world record in women’s marathon, with Paula Radcliffe of UK who held the previous record, at the 2019 Chicago Marathon (This photo was downloaded from the Facebook page of the event and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Victory completes a Kenyan sweep of world records in the marathon

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei has set a new world record in the women’s marathon.

She won the 2019 Chicago Marathon in two hours, 14 minutes, four seconds (2:14:04) bringing the curtains down on the previous 16-year-old record of 2:15:25 held by Paula Radcliffe of UK.  Radcliffe had her record-making run at the 2003 London Marathon. Kosgei’s performance is naturally a new course record for Chicago Marathon. Interestingly, the previous course record of 2:17:18 was also held by Radcliffe.

Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh came in second in the women’s race, finishing nearly seven minutes behind Kosgei in 2:20:51. Gelete Burka also of Ethiopia finished in third position in 2:20:55.

In the men’s race, Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono was the winner with timing of 2:05:45. He was followed by Ethiopian Dejene Debela who finished in 2:05:46. In third position was another Ethiopian runner, Asefa Mengstu who finished in 2:05:48.

Defending champion Mo Farah of UK finished in eighth position clocking 2:09:58.

Galen Rupp of the US, returning to a major race after a long gap due to surgery, was forced to pull out, a report in Runners World said.

With her victory and world record of October 13 in Chicago, Kosgei has helped effect a Kenyan sweep of world records in the marathon.  The men’s record – 2:01:39 is held by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge who touched that mark at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. The women’s half marathon record (1:04:51) belongs to Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei (1:04:51 set in Valencia, Spain) , while the same in the men’s category (58: 01, set at the 2019 Copenhagen Half Marathon) is held by Geoffrey Kamworor, also of Kenya.

The new women’s world record is just a day after Eliud Kipchoge ran an unofficial timing of 1:59:40 – the first time anyone ran the marathon in under two hours – at an event custom-built for the purpose.

Kosgei was in the news early September 2019 for setting a new course record in the women’s half marathon at the 2019 Great North Run in UK (this event held every September in north east England is the largest half marathon in the world). She covered the distance in one hour, four minutes and 28 seconds (1:04:28), shattering the previous record held by Mary Keitany (1:05:39 / also of Kenya) by more than a minute. Kosgei’s course record was better than the existing world record – 1:04:51 – held by Jepkosgei. However owing to technical reasons, the new mark couldn’t be considered for a world record. The problem lay in the Great North Run’s course. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) had noted, “ as a point-to-point course and slightly downhill, it’s not valid for record purposes, but that shouldn’t take away from the performance by the 25-year-old Kenyan who dominated the race from the outset.’’

Prior to 2019 Great North Run, Kosgei was known best for her finishes at the Chicago and London marathons. She placed second among women in the 2017 Chicago Marathon, second in the 2018 London Marathon, first in the 2018 Chicago Marathon and first in the 2019 London Marathon.

Paula Radcliffe is one of the greatest runners in the women’s marathon. Her longstanding world record had unique significance in India. While the Indian national record in the men’s marathon is 2:12:00, set by the late Shivnath Singh in 1978, it has remained an enigma and a tough target for the current generation of marathoners to match. Realizing the gap between their performance and the national record and world beating performances, Radcliffe’s world record – 2:15:25 – had served as intermediate goal for some of the country’s elite marathoners.

In a conversation with this blog in November 2017, Indian elite marathoner Nitendra Singh Rawat had spoken of focusing on Radcliffe’s world record as a realistic goal to accomplish while he was preparing for the 2016 Rio Olympics. In that phase, at the 2016 Mumbai Marathon, Nitendra touched 2:15:48 (a new course record), very close to Radcliffe’s record; he eventually surpassed it with the 2:15:18 achieved at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati. T. Gopi completed the marathon at the 2016 Rio Olympics in 2:15:25. He went on to clock 2:13:39 at the 2019 Seoul International Marathon.

(The author, Latha Venkatraman, is an independent journalist based in Mumbai.)

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BARRIER FALLS, KIPCHOGE GOES SUB 2

Eliud Kipchoge (in white vest) and his team of pacemakers running as part of Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna (This photo was downloaded from the Facebook page of the event and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge has covered the 42.2km distance of the full marathon in 1:59:40, breaking the two hour-barrier.

The result was achieved in near perfect weather conditions – save 90 per cent plus humidity and a spell of rain – at the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna today (October 12, 2019). People lined the carefully chosen course in the Austrian capital to see the event. The course was 90 per cent straight, evenly paved and lined by trees. For the first time in Kipchoge’s running career, his family – wife, Grace and three children – were present to see him in action.

Kipchoge is the current world record holder in the marathon (2:01:39 set at the 2018 Berlin Marathon) and reigning Olympic champion. The strategy for the run, worked back from the need to go sub-2, was executed to precision. There was a car up front setting the pace accurately and more importantly, projecting a green laser lit-line on to the road just behind which, the athletes recruited to be pacemakers ran maintaining their momentum. The course had a small corridor down the middle marked by two orange lines. Kipchoge had to stay within that to make sure the required length of the run was met.

The pacemakers were arranged in the form of a `V’ (open arms facing the wind) with the captain of a given set of pacemakers anchoring the point of convergence. This formation was the best option for aerodynamic efficiency. It reduced wind resistance for Kipchoge who ran behind the captain. Two pacemakers ran on either side of Kipchoge, slightly behind him. Every few kilometers, the team of pacemakers changed. The transition was done smoothly.  There were 41 pacemakers drawn from 10 countries assembled for the task; all of them world class athletes.

Eliud Kipchoge (This photo was downloaded from the athlete’s Facebook page and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Kipchoge and his pacemakers were on target almost all through the run. At 41 kilometers, the pace car peeled off. At an hour and 58 minutes with just a few hundred meters left, the last team of pacemakers slackened their pace and let Kipchoge take the lead. At 1:59:22, goal nearly in grasp, he began pointing to the crowd in excitement. The finish was at 1:59:40.

Although this is the first time in history that a marathon has been completed within two hours, the timing will not be recognized as a world record for three reasons – Kipchoge was the sole competitor at Vienna; he not only had pacemakers but the team of pacemakers was periodically replaced to ensure they stuck to required pace and he had fluids for hydration being handed out from a bike unlike the hydration points of regular marathons (this is as per event commentary).

“ His run today won’t be ratified as a world record, but will nonetheless be remembered as one of the greatest pioneering milestones in athletics history,” a report on the race available on the website of International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said.The IAAF, which is the top body for athletics worldwide, is the agency that ratifies world records.

The event in Vienna was the second time Kipchoge attempted breaking the two hour-barrier. In May 2017 at a similar project organized by Nike, he had covered the distance in 2:00:25.  The course was straighter at Vienna, the shoes used were better than the ones employed at Monza (the scene of the 2017 attempt) and Kipchoge’s nutrient intake during the race was further improved, the event’s commentators pointed out.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)

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7KM SHORT, 215KM OF LEARNING

Shikha Pahwa (Photo: courtesy Shikha)

What defines outcome – the goal or the experience? This is an article by invitation. In 2019, Delhi-based runner Shikha Pahwa set out to attempt the 222km-race of La Ultra-The High in Ladakh. She tackled 215 kilometers before a combination of weather, fatigue and injury forced her to pull out (215 is the figure Shikha heard at the time of DNF, the figure shown on the race website is 212km. We decided to go with 215 because this is  a first person account of an experience and what you hear in the thick of an experience is part of it). For the past few years, Shikha has been a regular on the Ladakh circuit. In 2018, she ran the 111km distance category of La Ultra-The High, completing it in 18 hours, 15 minutes, 42 seconds. The year before that she was winner among women in the 72km Khardung La Challenge. In 2016, she had placed second among women in the Ladakh Marathon. This is her account of participating in the 222km race of La Ultra-The High in 2019.

My decision to attempt the 222km race at La Ultra–The High in Ladakh had its share of apprehensions. Not only was it double the longest distance I had run till then but its route also lingered at high altitude for a longer period of time given two mountain passes to tackle. Temperatures would range from minus 10 to 30 degrees Celsius.

I was not new to running in Ladakh. I had participated in events there since the past three years. I knew what I was getting into. To sum it up, I would say the 111km I had done the previous year was just a trailer.

Training for the 222km-run was not easy in Delhi. The weather and the terrain of the national capital are nowhere close to what one experiences in Ladakh. I focused therefore on just one aspect – more time, staying up on my feet. To be able to move for 48 hours at a stretch I needed to do a lot of training on tired legs. I started with two consecutive days of running 40km and 30km during the weekend for a month or so and then progressed to three consecutive days of 50km, 40km and 30km starting from Friday through the weekend for about two months. During Delhi’s summer months of May to July, this routine sapped my energy. In this period, I also participated in the Tuffman Shimla 80km ultra-marathon, mainly as practice for La Ultra-The High. It turned out to be a good decision as the event route featured some steep uphill and downhill portions; exactly what I needed.

From La Ultra-The High (Photo: courtesy Shikha Pahwa)

Weather conditions in Ladakh can be unpredictable. At La Ultra-The High, runners are warned to be prepared for rain or snow or heat or all of them. I knew the drill and I was ready. But the mountains proved me wrong.

On August 17, 2019, runners assembled at the start point in Nubra Valley. The race started at 6PM in light rain; it continued for approximately 60 kilometers. After that, it transformed to snow and blizzard. Going uphill to an altitude of 18,000 feet in those conditions was something I had never imagined. I felt like giving up several times but somehow, looking at Nischint Katoch, the only other runner in sight, fighting the situation ahead, I pushed on putting one step before the other. As I had never walked in snow before, it was nothing short of a nightmare. To add to the whole experience, I started to feel a pinching pain in my left shin (it later turned out to be a stress fracture in the shin and a ligament tear in my ankle, as per the MRI test report).

I felt a sense of relief upon reaching Khardung La. I expected the downhill from there to be easy. But I was completely wrong. Moving downhill in the snow was very difficult. I slipped at least seven to eight times in the snow. I had absolutely no control over my feet. I was either stepping deep into snow or into icy puddles. Worried about the manner in which I was moving, the medical teams stopped several times to check if I was alright. I was okay, except that my shin pain was increasing with no clear solution for it.

Downhill running is something I love. I just give into gravity. As I am wont to, I let go and almost immediately I felt the pain in my shin. The next four kilometers I resorted to run-walk.

As part of the 222km event (and for distances in excess), we are assigned support crew. They joined us at the 87th kilometer. The crew is not there to merely help runners with hydration and nutrition. They also act as motivators to ensure that participants keep moving.

When I reached the said mark, my crew, Milam Shah from Nainital and Kunzes Dolma from Ladakh, immediately jumped into getting things ready to make me comfortable. After a short re-charge break, I headed out again. With no rain and snow, it felt like things were back on track.

Arriving at the 111 kilometer-mark at Shanti Stupa felt great as it was almost halfway point for my distance category. There was a huge round of cheering by the gathered volunteers. After a break at a guest house ahead, we headed out again. From Leh, it was pretty much a flat route for the next 60 odd kilometers. As easy as that sounds, it wasn’t so in real terms. It was mentally exhausting to get through the endless road especially at night. It was pitch-dark. My crew car was the only vehicle tailing me. I started feeling extremely sleepy. I fought to keep my eyes open and at one point started seeing things on the road that weren’t there. That was when I stopped the car and decided to take a 20 minute nap. Even after that it was a struggle to stay awake and so the crew stepped in. They took turns to walk with me, talking, making sure that I didn’t lose self-control. We had another stop to eat and sleep in the car. Eventually we made it to the 173 kilometer-mark at the next guest house. By then, my shin was red and swollen and I was suffering from fatigue. After consulting the doctors, eating and taking medicines for the pain, I slept for around two hours.

Feeling refreshed and ready to take on the last leg, we started moving again. It was just 49 kilometers to the finish line but half of it was climbing up to Wari La at an altitude of 17,500 feet. The weather was good and there were many people around, as the 55 kilometer-category runners were on the course. Slowly making my way up, I saw two friendly faces; my good friends Taher Merchant and Gregor Gucwa, who had come all the way just to support me. These are the priceless moments of participating in an event like La Ultra-The High. We get to meet amazing people. Both Gregor and Taher were participants of La Ultra-The High. Gregor was attempting the 222km and Taher, 111km (unfortunately, both had to give up due to altitude sickness. They came to Wari La for the final stretch of the race to support me).

From La Ultra-The High (Photo: courtesy Shikha Pahwa)

After a couple of kilometers, Taher had to leave. Gregor and I, with the crew following, kept walking. As we gained altitude, the uphill walk became difficult. Gregor was going strong. He kept chatting with me and making sure that I was eating and hydrating all along. He helped me get through every sharp climb, one step at a time. We were on track, I was sure of making it to the finish in time. Then, reality hit back. We were told that there was snow along the route on the top. It brought back memories of the Khardung La stretch. The target got very very tight at this point prompting us to move faster. With snow and blizzard, there isn’t much you can do. It was slippery and wet all the way. Those four kilometers seemed endless. It played on my mind even more since I couldn’t see the point where I had to turn around; everything was just white.

At that juncture, I met Jyotsna Rawat, who is part of the La Ultra core crew team. She became my motivator, supporter and morale-booster for the moment, giving me the push that I needed, helping me to turn around. Gregor caught up soon enough, fighting the extreme weather, to be by my side. Although it was all downhill now, the snow and altitude didn’t allow us to gain much pace. With every step, time was slipping out of our hands. After the snow cleared, I started running down in small stretches. The pain in my shin was getting worse and the altitude was making me breathless. I knew there was very little chance of making it to the finish line before the cut-off time. Nevertheless, I kept pushing ahead.

The next time I asked Gregor if we would make it in time, he said it was too tight. Jyotsna, who was following me in a car, came up to ask if I wanted to continue, as there wasn’t enough time.

I was keen to finish even if it was after the cut-off time. But I had to slow down because of the agonizing pain in my shin. After another couple of kilometers I was again asked if I wanted to continue. There is that point when runners don’t see logic or consequences and are willing to endure pain and discomfort, just to reach the finish line. Gregor and the crew members tried very hard to convince me to stop, trying to prevent my injury from getting worse. After much resistance, I finally gave in. At that point I wasn’t sure how much distance was left. I later discovered that I had dropped out just seven kilometers from the finish line. Not wanting to go to the finish point at all, I was driven straight to the guest house close by to rest. After that, I only remember being comforted by Gregor, my crew and all the core crew members around.

I reached the 215 kilometer-mark but fell short of the finish by seven kilometers. To me it was an experience of a different kind. I wouldn’t term it failure. I witnessed several things for the first time, learnt a lot, realized my mistakes and understood how much the mind can push the body. Those 47.5 hours were one hell of a journey and I was extremely lucky to have so much support throughout. I couldn’t have gone through it without my crew and especially Gregor, who really is from another planet.

From La Ultra-The High (Photo: courtesy Shikha Pahwa)

Having said all this about how insane this experience was, I then look at those three super-humans – Jason Reardon, Matthew Maday and Ashish Kasodekar – who completed the 555 kilometer-event in similar conditions and over much longer distances; I feel I need to work a lot harder. Human endurance has seen a whole new level and I would be extremely happy to reach at least halfway there.

Putting together an event like this is a mammoth task. The core crew members were not there to just man the hydration points; there were multiple complex factors to take care of simultaneously in those harsh weather conditions and for several days at a stretch. Despite all that, they went all out to motivate and encourage every single runner on the course. These are the people who make the impossible, possible.

I wouldn’t call La Ultra-The High a race. I was competing with myself, fighting mind and body, battling fatigue, suffering sleep deprivation and nursing an injury. In a span of 48 hours, I saw an unbelievable side of nature and tremendous support from some amazing people. It was a completely overwhelming experience. As difficult as it was, I would like to go back and try again.

(The author, Shikha Pahwa, is a Delhi-based runner. She owns Café Qahwa, located in the city’s Safdarjung Development Area. The 222km category of La Ultra-The High saw only one finisher in 2019 – Amit Kumar, who covered the distance in 41 hours, 48 minutes. There were eight DNFs. As per the race website, both Shikha and Munir Kulavoor pulled out at 212km covered, the farthest run by those who stopped short of the finish. Shikha’s DNF followed that of Munir, the race organizers said.)

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IAAF DEEMS DOHA EDITION OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, BEST TO DATE

This photo was downloaded from the Facebook page of the Doha World Championships and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended.

Six championship records were set, 43 countries won medals and athletes from 68 different nations achieved at least one top-eight placing at the just concluded 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha.  There were 21 area records – double the number from 2017 – and 86 national records.

Athletes from more than 200 countries participated in the Doha edition.

Based on the IAAF competition performance rankings used to rank the quality of competitions, the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 tops the list of all World Championships to date, an official statement from IAAF said.

According to it, taking the best five results and athletes from the best 24 events (before the concluding night’s finals), the top five editions are (1) 2019, Doha – 195,869, (2) 2015, Beijing – 194,547 (3) 2017, London – 193,426 (4) 2013, Moscow – 192,664 and (5) 2009, Berlin – 191,168. Based on the average scores of all track and field results, the top five editions are: (1) 2019, Doha – 1024.75 (2) 2017, London – 1012.84 (3) 1999, Seville – 1007.98 (4) 2015, Beijing – 1004.78 and (5) 2009, Berlin – 1004.55

There were many outstanding performances over the 10 days of competition with unprecedented depth in many of the finals. Based on the IAAF scoring tables, the top five men’s and women’s performances – as per the statement – are: MEN – 22.91m Joe Kovacs (USA) shot put – 1295pts; 22.90m Tom Walsh (NZL) shot put – 1294pts, 22.90m Ryan Crouser (USA) shot put – 1294pts, 9.76 Christian Coleman (USA) 100m – 1291pts and 43.48 Steven Gardiner (BAH) 400m – 1289pts. WOMEN – 7.30m Malaika Mihambo (GER) long jump – 1288pts; 48.14 Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) 400m – 1281pts, 48.37 Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) 400m – 1272pts, 3:51.95 Sifan Hassan (NED) 1500m – 1271pts and 6981 Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR) heptathlon – 1269pts.

USA’s 200m winner Noah Lyles and Germany’s decathlon victor Niklas Kaul became the youngest ever world champions in their respective events. Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh twice broke the world U20 record on her way to the silver medal in the high jump. She was one of several athletes born in or after the year 2000 who earned medals, along with Ethiopian duo Selemon Barega and Lemecha Girma and Bahrain’s Musa Isah, the statement said. IAAF President Sebastian Coe has described the Doha edition of the world championships as the best ever in the series in terms of the quality and depth of performance produced by the athletes.

This blog would like to point out that while several sterling performances were seen in Doha, almost all of them happened within the main stadium. As per published news reports, the disciplines staged outside the stadium – mainly marathon and race-walking – reported impact of heat and humidity to varying degrees.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai. Please click on this link for a related article: https://shyamgopan.com/2019/10/01/two-worlds/)

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COMING UP: INEOS 1:59 CHALLENGE

Eliud Kipchoge (This photo was downloaded from the athlete’s Facebook page and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Roughly a week after the action ends at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships, the world record holder in the marathon – Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge – is scheduled to attempt running the 42.2km distance in less than two hours. No human has yet managed to do a sub two-hour marathon.

The event called `INEOS 1:59 Challenge’ is the second such attempt by Kipchoge. The first was a project by Nike called `Breaking 2,’ held at a race track in Italy in May 2017, when Kipchoge managed a time of 2:00:25. It remains unofficially the fastest time so far for a marathon; it didn’t merit official recognition as world record by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for several reasons including the use of a battery of pacers. Same would be the case with INEOS 1:59. Variables have been weeded out for singular pursuit of timing. A suitable course has been selected in Vienna, Austria and a window of select days – originally October 12-20, 2019 and since narrowed to October 12-14 – shortlisted to stage the attempt when conditions are most favorable.

In his diary entries ahead of the challenge (available on the event website) Kipchoge has acknowledged that while his preparation for the event is similar to his preparation for any marathon, he is new to Vienna and will need “ a day or so’’ to get used to the city. He has seen pictures and videos of the course but will need to jog there once or twice to imprint it in his mind. He says that he didn’t sleep a wink before Breaking 2. This time, he hopes to catch some sleep before embarking on the challenge. But a couple of aspects about INEOS 1:59 make it distinct from previous runs. Usually you know the exact date of a run. Here, you don’t. “ I will need to have a flexible mindset, while also preparing as though I am competing on October 12,’’ Kipchoge says on the website. Further, unlike Breaking 2 where he had two runners – Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea and Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia – competing with him, in Vienna, Kipchoge will be competing with himself.

He will have pacers. The list, as available on the event’s website is long: Thomas Ayeko (Uganda), Selemon Barega (Ethiopia), Emmanuel Bett (Kenya), Hillary Bor (USA), Mande Bushendich (Uganda), Matthew Centrowitz (USA), Paul Chelimo (USA), Augustine Choge (Kenya), Victor Chumo (Kenya), the Ingebrigtsen brothers – Filip, Henrik and Jakob (Norway), Philemon Kacheran (Kenya), Stanley Kebenei (USA), Justus Kimutai (Kenya), Shadrack Kichirchir (USA), Noah Kipkemboi (Kenya), Gideon Kipketer (Kenya), Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda), Marius Kipserem (Kenya), Eric Kiptanui (Kenya), Moses Koech (Kenya), Shadrach Koech (Kazakhstan), Micah Kogo (Kenya), Alex Korio (Kenya), Jonathan Korir (Kenya), Ronald Kwemoi (Kenya), Bernard Lagat (USA), Lopez Lomong (USA), Abdallah Mande (Uganda), Stewart Mcsweyn (Australia), Kota Murayama (Japan), Ronald Musagala (Uganda), Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (Turkey), Jack Rayner (Australia), Chala Regasa (Ethiopia), Brett Robinson (Australia), Nicholas Rotich (Kenya), Patrick Tiernan (Australia), Timothy Toroitich (Uganda) and Julien Wanders (Switzerland). Some of these athletes were in action at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha.

During the event, there will be a car in front of Kipchoge setting an accurate pace for the run and maybe (as some reports suggested), providing benefit of draft. Draft or none, the car is critical and its selection provides insight on the battle with variables when a single attribute – in this case 1:59 hours – has to be chased in isolation. The reason the car came in is because the best way to run a fast marathon is to sustain an even pace. Runners including Kipchoge, have the tendency to vary their pace over the duration of a marathon. This must be avoided as far as possible when the quest is sub-two, margin for error is thin and difference by a few seconds can impact final outcome. As they set about looking for the right car, the organizing team discovered that the cruise control systems on cars were not 100 per cent accurate. So specialists were engaged. The eventual choice was an electric vehicle. That was also because it helps the runners run behind without worry of breathing in harmful engine emissions. Finally, for redundancy, a second vehicle will also be on stand-by, the event’s website said.

All this raises the question – if it is so complicated, if so many variables have to be managed, then why have the sub-two attempt at all? Doesn’t it become too synthetic?

The answer to that lay in the sheer magnetic pull of dipping below two hours for a full marathon, something no person has done before. The publicity pitch for the event likens it to man reaching the moon. Not everyone agrees. In August 2019, CNN reported that Professor Ross Tucker of South Africa (he was an expert witness in Caster Semenya’s hearing at the Court of Arbitration of Sports in 2019) found the comparisson contrived. The crux of the argument relates to setting an utterly impartial baseline to decide athletic performance. Within that concern, fingers were pointed at advancements in shoe technology with models like Nike’s Vaporfly four per cent promising a quicker pace to its wearer. They are totally legal. But the shoe featuring carbon fiber plate and special mid-sole foam provides the athlete an element of unnatural advantage.

Eliud Kipchoge (This photo was downloaded from the Facebook page of INEOS 1:59 Challenge and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

“ According to Tucker, a runner expelling four percent less oxygen for the same energy output is able to improve on his or her performance by 2.5 percent at the elite level. Over the course of a marathon – 26.2 miles (42.2km) – this could translate to as much as two minutes,’’ the CNN article said. However other studies – there was one reported by Runners World in February 2019, involving a team of researchers from University of Colorado Boulder – show that four per cent energy saved with such shoes needn’t necessarily translate into a four per cent faster run. The runner’s height and weight as well the air resistance encountered, matter.

All this technology is construed as altering the baseline for deciding human athletic performance and comparing it. As Tucker argued in the CNN article – to reach the moon, man had an unalterable baseline to surpass; gravity. A controlled run in pursuit of sub-two with technology like the above for company, is akin to claiming a marathon record on Mars.

Notwithstanding such perspective, curiosity for the sub-two marathon will always be there. And along with it, the marketing leverage it provides. As it is, without dipping below two hours and running along with other marathoners at an established event like the Berlin Marathon, the world’s two fastest timings so far in the discipline – 2:01:39 by Kipchoge (Berlin 2018) and 2:01:41 by Ethiopia’s Kenenise Bekele (Berlin 2019) – are in a league by themselves. The pace therein, sustained over 42.2 kilometers, is beyond the reach of most runners.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)   

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COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER, BUT AM SATISFIED: T. GOPI

T. Gopi (This photo was downloaded from the athlete’s Facebook page and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

“ Given the prevailing weather conditions and the need to push reasonably in such circumstances, I am satisfied with my performance. That said I do wish it had been a better performance,’’ T Gopi told this blog on day 10 of the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships. The men’s marathon, wherein Gopi finished 21st with a timing of 2:15:57 happened on the intervening night of days 9 and 10.

According to him, he had trained well for the event in Doha. At the national camp in Bengaluru he made sure to do the bulk of his training in the afternoon hours, when temperatures are warmer. Roughly a fortnight before the championships he also altered his sleep cycle given outdoor endurance disciplines were slated to happen during night in the Qatari capital. Despite all these preparations, the weather on arrival in Doha – Gopi reached there on September 30 – was dissimilar to the conditions he had trained under in Bengaluru. It was warmer and the humidity was quite high. The general feedback from the women’s marathon, staged soon after the championships got underway, was further wake up call to reconsider plans. Gopi admitted that in the flurry of news around what happened at the women’s marathon (28 runners pulled out, unable to continue in the prevailing weather), he had wondered whether he would cover the whole distance.

It is true that qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was pending and there was a timing of 2:11:30 to match for that purpose. Even as he acclimatized as well as he could to the local weather, Doha didn’t seem the appropriate mix of conditions to push for a severe target. It made better sense to run responsibly and save oneself for potential Olympic qualification in more hospitable weather conditions. Olympic qualification is a huge push for any Indian marathoner because it entails breaking the long existing national record of 2:12:00.

Luckily for the male marathoners in Doha, weather conditions on the intervening night of days 9 and 10 of the championships, was not as bad as it had been for the women’s marathon. According to Gopi, the race commenced with temperature at around 30 degrees Celsius but soon settled to 29 degrees. Humidity was 48 per cent (in contrast the women’s marathon was staged in 30-32.7 degrees Celsius and humidity of 73 per cent).  “ I did face one problem – my old calf muscle issue continues to return.  The muscle got tight towards the later stages of the race. The last ten kilometers was therefore slow,’’ Gopi said over the phone from Doha.

Gopi believes that he hasn’t done too badly with 2:15:57, the timing he eventually churned out at the marathon in Doha. To explain, he pointed to the personal bests (PB) of the runners who finished on the podium. Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa for instance has a PB of 2:04:45. Against that his race winning time in Doha was 2:10:40. Mosinet Geremew, also of Ethiopia, has a PB of 2:02:55; his finish time for the silver medal was 2:10:44. Kenya’s Amos Kipruto who finished third in 2:10:51 has a PB of 2:05:43. They were all slower by 5-8 minutes.  Compared to that Gopi’s finish time was 2:15:57; his PB, 2:13:39. “ Viewed so, I am satisfied with this outcome,’’ Gopi said.

His next priority is to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On the radar for the purpose is the next edition of the Tokyo Marathon. “ I hope to run at that event and seek qualification,’’ Gopi said. Other options also exist, among them the next Asian Marathon Championships due in December 2019. According to a May 2019 article in Outside magazine, there is time till May 31, 2020 to qualify for participation in the 2020 Olympics marathon.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)

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GOPI CLOCKS 2:15:57 IN DOHA

T. Gopi (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Indian marathoner T. Gopi finished his race at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in two hours, 15 minutes, 57 seconds (2:15:57) to place twenty first in a field of 55 finishers.

The marathon was won by Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa, who crossed the finish line in 2:10:40, a season’s best (SB). His fellow countryman Mosinet Geremew (2:10:44) placed second while Kenya’s Amos Kipruto (2:10:51) ended third. Callum Hawkins of Great Britain (2:10:57) finished fourth.

The best finisher from USA was Ahmed Osman (2:16:22) who placed 23rd. The top Japanese finisher was Hiroki Yamagishi (2:16:43). Yuki Kawauchi of Japan, winner of the 2018 Boston Marathon placed 29th with a finish time of 2:17:59.

The men’s marathon, like the women’s earlier, was held at night to escape the daytime temperature of Qatar. According to IAAF’s race summary, the temperature was around 29 degrees Celsius and the humidity, 48 per cent, for the men’s marathon. “ It was hot, but I prepared perfectly for this race,” Lelisa Desisa, who is also winner of the 2018 New York City Marathon, was quoted as saying in the report.

As per information on the IAAF website, 18 runners did not finish (DNF) the race in the men’s marathon.

Prior to the marathon, the list of runners starting the race, featured 73 athletes.

Only the top six finishers have turned in timings better than the qualifying mark assigned for men’s marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – 2:11:30. Among runners from Asian countries, El Hassan El Abbassi representing Bahrain (he is a Moroccan born runner who competes internationally for Bahrain) had the fastest time – 2:11:44; he finished seventh. Shaohui Yang of China (2:15:17) who placed twentieth had the second fastest time, followed immediately by Gopi. There was one new personal best (PB) and nine season’s best (SB) reported from the race. The sole PB and four of the SBs were at timings slower than Gopi’s. The SBs that ranked higher belonged to runners from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya and Italy.

Gopi qualified for the 2019 world championships with the timing of 2:13:39 he registered at the 2019 Seoul Marathon. That is also his personal best. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he had finished 25th with a timing of 2:15:25.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)

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SIFAN HASSAN CREATES HISTORY

Sifan Hassan (This photo was downloaded from the Facebook page of the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Sifan Hassan of Netherlands created history on day 9 of the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships, winning the 1500m for women and becoming the first person to win both the 1500m and 10,000m at the world championships or the Olympics.

At the event in Doha, Qatar, Hassan took gold in 3:51.95 minutes, a championship record. Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon – she was the defending champion – placed second in 3:54.22, a new national record. Kipyegon was returning to a major race after a long break. She is also the current Olympic champion. Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia took the bronze in 3:54.38, a new personal best.

The pace in the 1500m final was blistering and the victory margin, significant.  Featuring 12 athletes, the race yielded one championship record, two national records, one area record, two season’s best and three personal best timings. Earlier on day 2 of the championships, Hassan had won the 10,000m for women, covering the distance in 30:17.62 minutes.

According to Wikipedia, as of October 2019, Hassan was being mentored by coach, Alberto Salazar. The latter, who is head coach of the Nike Oregon Project in the US, is serving a four year ban for doping offences. Salazar has denied any wrongdoing. The commentators for the 1500m final mentioned Hassan’s training in the US. In an article soon after the 1500m final in Doha, The Guardian reported that Laura Muir of Great Britain who finished fifth in the race, felt that Hassan’s performance was suspect. Hassan told the paper that she hasn’t done anything wrong and that the accusations of the past few days had inspired her to turn in a strong performance. “ I couldn’t talk to anyone. I just ran it all out,” BBC quoted her as saying in its report on the 1500m final and the sentiments it provoked.

Born in Adama in Ethiopia, Hassan left the country as a refugee and reached the Netherlands in 2008, aged 15. She began running while studying to be a nurse. As per information on Wikipedia, she got Dutch citizenship in November 2013 and started appearing at sport events for her adopted country, soon thereafter. At the 2017 World Athletics Championships held in London, Hassan had placed fifth in the women’s 1500m and secured a bronze medal in the 5000m. In July 2019, she had broken the longstanding women’s world record for the mile, covering the distance in 4:12.33.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)

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2019 BERLIN MARATHON / TALKING TO SOME OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED

Anjali Saraogi (Photo: courtesy Anjali)

Berlin Marathon is well-known for its fast course. For that reason it attracts a huge number of runners from all over the world. In the 2019 edition of the marathon, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele won the race in the second fastest time yet in the history of the marathon – two hours, one minute and forty one seconds (2:01:41). It was just two seconds short of the world record set by Kenya’s Eluid Kipchoge on the same course in 2018. The women’s race was won by Ashete Bekere of Ethiopia. She finished in 2:20:14. Across the races for men and women, Ethiopian runners took five of the six podium positions on offer. We spoke to some of the Indian runners who participated in Berlin Marathon 2019. Excerpts:

Anjali Saraogi

Kolkata-based runner Anjali Saraogi signed up for Berlin Marathon and then had to suspend her training towards the end of June 2019 following some health issues.

“ I could not train at all for Berlin. I tried to defer my entry but that was not possible. I then decided that I would attempt it mainly as a fun run,’’ Anjali said.

On September 1, 2019, she resumed her training after a gap of two months. On September 29, 2019, she was at the start line of the Berlin Marathon mainly aiming to do an easy run. “ I started 16 minutes after my assigned time to ensure that I run slowly,” she said. She finished the run in three hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds.

Though it wasn’t her personal best, she was pleasantly surprised to turn in a performance way better than her expectations. “ Given my medical issues and what I have been through, this is super time for me. This timing means much more to me than my sub-3:15 finish at Boston Marathon earlier this year,’’ she said.

Anjali was the fastest among women runners from India at Berlin Marathon 2019.

She will be representing India at the IAU 100 kilometer Asia Oceania Championships to be held on November 23, 2019 at Aqaba, Jordan. “ I am now totally fit and hope to do well in Jordan,’’ she said.

Brojen Singh Nongmaithem (Photo: courtesy Brojen Singh)

Brojen Singh Nongmaithem

Brojen Singh Nongmaithem’s foray into physical activity commenced with running in 2011 as means to combat depression caused by a personal crisis he was facing then.

“ I started walking and jogging and found it interesting. In time I enrolled for a 5 kilometer-race,’’ Brojen, who hails from Manipur but lives in Bengaluru, said. He joined Nike Run Club, which had its training sessions at Kanteerava Stadium.

In 2012, he ran his first full marathon. To train for this marathon, he downloaded a program from Runners’ World. He then got introduced to Pacemakers, a training group under Coach K.C. Kothandapani.

Though, he got a slot to participate in the Berlin Marathon through the lottery system, he was unsure of going because his daughter was yet very small, just nine months old. He trained well for a period of 14-15 weeks but ended up with throat infection during the tapering period. Nevertheless, a week before Berlin Marathon, he ran a half marathon at the Spirit of Wipro in Bengaluru.

“ At Berlin, I was worried about the cold weather. But after I landed there I did a couple of short runs and felt good running in the cool weather,’’ he said.

During the race, he ran strongly until the 22nd kilometer but slowed down a bit thereafter because of the rain. He ended with a personal best of 3:19:15. “ Although my goal was to get to a 3:10, I am happy with my performance in Berlin,’’ he said adding that he would like to attempt achieving this target over the next two years.

Muthukrishnan Jayaraman (Photo: courtesy Muthukrishnan)

Muthukrishnan Jayaraman

For Colonel Muthukrishnan Jayaraman, an endocrinologist at the Army Hospital in Delhi, the Berlin Marathon was an opportunity to improve his timing of 3:17 hours, set at the Tata Mumbai Marathon earlier this year. For Berlin, he had set a target of 3:15.

His training had turned out quite well. But after a long run on September 15, he felt strain in his calf muscles prompting him to go slow on the training and attend physiotherapy sessions alongside. “ I could not cancel my trip. I decided to go anyway and run easy,’’ he said.

Halfway through the course, he started to feel the strain again and had to take it easy.

“ Weather was great but the course was quite crowded. Also, many runners don’t go by corals. As a result, you end up overtaking many runners during the course,’’ he said. As Muthukrishnan had decided to not race, this aspect did not worry him too much.

He finished the run in 3:43:07 hours.

Berlin Marathon is seen as one of the fastest courses and prompts runners from across the world to participate in it. “ Runners from over 150 countries participated this time,’’ Muthukrishnan said.

According to him, the Berlin Marathon organizers’ attempt to introduce reusable cups for hydration did not go down well as many runners ended up throwing these along the route. This meant that for a while after every hydration point, runners had to be careful to avoid the discarded hard plastic cups.

“ Berlin Marathon is worth doing if you want to improve your timing,’’ he said but added that there are many turns along the route.

Muthukrishnan’s focus will now shift to training for Boston Marathon 2020. In the run up to that, he will be running Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2019, Tata Steel Kolkata 25k and Tata Mumbai Marathon 2020.

Pravin Gaikwad (Photo: courtesy Pravin)

Pravin Gaikwad

Standing at the start line of the 2019 Berlin Marathon, Dr Pravin Gaikwad, Navi-Mumbai-based paediatrician, runner and coach, decided to go by “ feel.’’ Take it as it comes based on how he responded to the run as it unfolded.

“ I managed to maintain my average pace of 5.12 from 17 to 40.5 kilometers. After that, my pace slipped by one second to 5.13 till finish,’’ Pravin said.

He tried to run along the “ blue line” for most part of the course but had to deviate from it at the hydration points. Pravin finished the run in 3:43:35 hours.

“ I am extremely happy with the run as I did not have any injuries or cramps at the end of the race,’’ Pravin said.

According to him, crowd support all along the route was quite good with lots of music. Due to the large number of participants, there is always a bunch of runners until the end of the race.

“ It is a bit difficult to pass the big runners from Europe but on the positive side, you can draft behind a runner of similar pace,’’ he said.

“ Some of the organization aspects of the Berlin Marathon should be adopted by Tata Mumbai Marathon, especially the blue line,’’ he said. The blue line is the racing line for elite marathoners and marks the shortest route between the start and the finish.

Kumar Rao in Berlin; all the World Marathon Majors done (Photo: courtesy Kumar Rao)

Kumar Rao

For Kumar Rao, Berlin Marathon was the last of the six World Marathon Majors that he had set out to complete.

He had registered twice earlier but could not run the marathon because of injury. “ I traveled to Berlin both times but did not run. Therefore, I am quite familiar with Berlin,’’ he said.

In the run up to the 2019 edition, he trained well but sometime in July he faced a bit of injury and had to stop running. “ I think, I did too many races,’’ he said. Earlier this year, he had run the Boston Marathon where he ended up with a personal best of 3:59:33.

Berlin Marathon was a chance to improve that timing to around 3:50.

“ I got back to running just four weeks before Berlin Marathon. On race day, for the first 23 kilometers I faced no problems. After that, I started to feel the IT (Iliotibial) band ache and also experienced peroneal pain. I had to slow down. Besides, I wanted to enjoy the run,’’ Kumar, 70, said. He finished strong with a timing of 4:05:22.

Having completed all the six World Marathon Majors, he rates Boston Marathon as the best for running because of the quality of participants. London was the best in terms of crowd support but narrow paths along the course posed a drawback.

“ The course at New York City Marathon is fantastic but tough and it’s a great feeling to finish at Central Park,’’ Kumar said. Berlin is a well-organized marathon and the route passes through some iconic places. Chicago is not visually appealing. “ I found Tokyo Marathon too regimented though it was a very well organized event,’’ he said.

Piyush Bhomia (Photo: courtesy Piyush)

Piyush Bhomia

Piyush Bhomia, runner from Mumbai, had applied for Berlin Marathon and Chicago Marathon through the lottery system. He ended up getting slots in both.

Until the Berlin Marathon, Piyush had run all of three full marathons – three editions of the Mumbai Marathon. He had to quickly decide how to handle two full marathons with just two weeks between them. Berlin Marathon was held on September 29, 2019. Chicago Marathon is slated for October 13, 2019.

“ I decided to race one and take the other, easy,’’ he said.

At Berlin, he targeted to finish the marathon in 3:30. His best timing for a marathon was 3:45:30, achieved during the 2019 edition of Tata Mumbai Marathon.

“ The rain and strong headwinds hit me hard in Berlin and I started cramping after 35kilometers. I had to take breaks,’’ he said. Nevertheless, he finished with a new personal best timing of 3:40:05.

He found Berlin Marathon very well organized with a large number of volunteers and spectators all along the route. “ Another amazing aspect is that most runners are mindful of negative split so they run strongly until the last kilometer,” he said.

Piyush started running in 2010 after he shifted to Mumbai on work. Having played badminton and table tennis during his schooling years in Nagpur, he found sporting facilities few in Mumbai. Running was the only viable option left. His first registered run was in 2014, a 10k. Thereafter, he shifted to the half marathon distance. In 2017, he made a foray into the full marathon running the distance at what was then the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon and finishing in 3:52:52.

He will be leaving for Chicago on October 10 to attempt his second World Marathon Major.

Asif Ahmed (Photo: courtesy Asif)

Asif Ahmed

Asif Ahmed, 33, commenced his journey as a recreational runner about eight years ago after he shifted to Bengaluru on work. He wasn’t exactly new to running. At Shillong in Meghalaya, where he hails from, running was part of life. He also played football and cricket.

In Bengaluru, Asif took to running and started participating in events of various distances.

Berlin Marathon was his first international event. He trained well and was targeting a finish below three hours and ten minutes. His previous best for a marathon was 3:22:17, set at the 2018 edition of Tata Mumbai Marathon.

“ Berlin is a fast course but weather conditions were not good. Because of rains and the subsequent fall in temperatures, I started to get cramps around the 28th kilometer and had to slow down a bit,’’ Asif said. He completed the race in in 3.16.09, tad short of his target but a personal best, nevertheless.

Having done his first World Marathon Major, he feels the whole concept is needlessly over-hyped. But among the six World Marathon Majors, he would like to try getting a slot for the London Marathon.

He is now slated to run the 80 kilometer category of Malnad Ultra, due to be held on November 2, 2019. “ I did Khardung La Challenge in 2017. I enjoy running ultras. If you want to enjoy running, ultras are the best bet,’’ he said.

Vandana Arora (Photo: courtesy Vandana)

Vandana Arora

A Bengaluru resident, Vandana Arora started running recently. Distraught with weight issues, asthma and depression, she earnestly pursued a friend’s suggestion to take up running.

“ I took to running seriously from 2017 onwards,’’ she said. She trains with Pacemakers under Coach K.C. Kothandapani. In 2018, she ran the New York City Marathon and finished the race in 4:11:15.

Her training for Berlin Marathon went off very well. “ I was happy with my training and my coach Pani Sir (Kothandapani) guided me well, especially considering my asthma problem,’’ she said.

At the New York City Marathon, she had got a bad attack of asthma.

“ At Berlin, I maintained my pace for the first half of the race. But when it started raining and it got colder I was worried if I would get an asthma attack. I slowed down my pace,’’ she said.

She completed the marathon in 4:00:15, missing a sub-four by just 15 seconds. She hopes to get her target of sub-four-hour marathon in her next race.

Pervin (left) with Ayesha Broacha, Nimisha Vora and Chintan Vora (Photo: courtesy: Pervin)

Pervin Batliwala

The 2019 Berlin Marathon was Pervin Batliwala’s fourth World Marathon Major. In the weeks ahead of the marathon, she had executed her training to perfection. She was also completely injury free.

“ My run went off very well. I could not improve my best timing for the marathon but I am very happy with my performance,’’ said Pervin, 64, a regular face on Mumbai’s running circuit.

Up until 30 kilometers, her run went off very well. “ It started raining and got quite cold. There were puddles along the route. My feet were quite cold. I decided to slow down a bit,’’ said Pervin. She finished in 4:18:51.

Berlin Marathon, she said, was organized quite well but post-run arrangements did not match up to those at New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon.

She is due to attempt Tokyo Marathon, her fifth World Marathon Major. In the interim, she will be running Goa River Marathon and a half marathon at Tata Mumbai Marathon 2020.

Suresh Seshadri (Photo: courtesy Suresh)

Suresh Seshadri

Suresh Seshadri, a journalist, commenced running sometime in 2006. These were mostly short runs. Suresh was yet to get into serious running then.

In 2007, he moved to Bengaluru. His office was located at The Lalit Ashok, a luxury hotel. After a colleague pointed out to him that the hotel’s fitness center could be availed free of cost, he started running on the treadmill and soon found his weight declining. Over time, he got introduced to the various aspects of running.

In 2010, he participated for the first time in a running event – a 10 kilometer run at Auroville. From there he worked his way up to full marathons; doing six of them in a period of one year. Then prudence got the better of him and he decided to restrict the number of full marathons to two every year from 2013 onward.

In 2015, he ran his first World Marathon Major – the Chicago Marathon. The following year, he completed New York City Marathon.

The 2019 Berlin Marathon was his third World Marathon Major. “ I had tried for Berlin three times earlier but got through this only for this edition,’’ he said.

His training for Berlin Marathon was not as good as he would have liked it to be. A runner using minimalist footwear, Suresh decided to attempt Berlin barefoot. “ I have mostly run in Vibram Five Fingers footwear. Most of my barefoot running has been while training and on the track, not on the roads,’’ he said.

Berlin, according to him, was a good choice to attempt going barefoot because of the quality of roads. But during the last 5-6 miles of the race he could not feel his feet because of the rain and cold weather.

“ I commenced the race quite well and right up to mile 12, I was on track for a sub-3.30 finish,’’ he said. But he lost the momentum when he took a couple of hydration and bio-breaks. He finished the marathon in 3:42:31.

He will be working towards completing the other World Marathon Majors – London, Boston and Tokyo. “ If I do Boston, I would definitely like to qualify for it and not go through the charity route,’’ he said.

Nimisha Vora (Photo: courtesy Nimisha)

Nimisha Vora

Nimisha Vora was a track and field athlete during her schooling years. Years later, she took to long-distance running. “ I have been running for the last ten years,’’ she said.

Running the World Marathon Majors was not on her agenda. “ Thanks to Pervin (Batliwala), I got captivated by the idea,’’ she said.

In 2014, she ran her first full marathon – the Mumbai Marathon. In 2016, she ran the Amsterdam Marathon. Two years later, she applied for New York City Marathon and got through.

“ My training for Berlin Marathon went off very well, despite a few breaks that I had to endure because of my travel. My daughter plays golf and I travel with her,’’ Nimisha said. She trains with Savio D’Souza, one of Mumbai’s well-known coaches.

According to her, the race at Berlin went off well. “ The rain was spoilsport. It did not stop raining at all. There were so many puddles on the road and every time you step into a puddle it was like stepping into ice water,’’ she said. Nevertheless, Nimisha finished with a personal best timing of 4:19:26.

“ I really enjoy running. I have so many good friends among runners. And for me the reward is the process. Though timing is important, I am not focused so much on it. Running instils a sense of self-awareness and discipline,’’ she said.

Nimisha will be heading to the Japanese capital early next year for the annual Tokyo Marathon.

Chintan Vora (Photo: courtesy Chintan)

Chintan Vora

Chintan Vora has been running for several years yet calls himself a “ reluctant runner.’’ “ I run mostly run for health reasons,’’ he said.

In 2016, he and his wife Nimisha Vora ran the Amsterdam Marathon – she did the full marathon and he opted for the half marathon. He enjoyed this run thoroughly.

In 2018, he accompanied Nimisha to New York City Marathon. “ When I went there I realized that this race was something one must try,’’ he said.

Up until the 2019 Berlin Marathon, Chintan had not only not run a full marathon but also not attempted a distance beyond 30 kilometers.

He took to slow running and finished Berlin Marathon in 6:08:38. The weather, according to him, made it tough. “ It was raining and windy and my hands were cold,’’ he said. Finishing the run at Berlin was a satisfying experience. He is normally prone to walking towards the end of the race but at Berlin he ran the last 800 meters to finish on a “high”.

(The author, Latha Venkatraman, is an independent journalist based in Mumbai.)

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AVINASH SABLE IMPROVES NATIONAL RECORD YET AGAIN

Avinash Sable (This photo was downloaded from the Facebook page of Athletics Federaion of India [AFI]. It has been cropped for use here. No copyright infringement intended)

Avinash Sable has set yet another national record in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.

Running in the final of the discipline at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, he placed thirteenth in a field of 15 finishers but completed the race in 8:21:37 minutes, an improvement over the 8:25:23 he registered in the heat, just a few days ago.

With this timing, Sable has also qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. As per information on Wikipedia, the qualifying time for the men’s 3000m steeplechase at the 2020 Olympics, is 8:22:00.

The fast paced final in Doha featured a hard fought, tight finish. Conseslus Kipruto of Kenya took gold in 8:01:35. Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia placed second in 8:01:36, while Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco finished third in 8:03:76.

Sable’s passage to the final was not a smooth one. In the third heat (it was held three days before the final), he had faced setbacks on the steeplechase course for no fault of his. Takele Nigate of Ethiopia fell twice in that race; in the first incident Sable was among those he brought down, in the second, Sable’s progress was blocked by the stumbling Nigate. The incidents were successfully appealed by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) paving the way for Sable’s eventual inclusion in the final.

The national record Sable set in the heat was an improvement on the national record of 8:28:94 he had set earlier in March 2019 at the Federation Cup in Patiala. The new record from the final improves upon the time set in the heat.

Hailing from Mandwa in Beed district, Maharashtra, Sable is the first steeplechaser from India to qualify for the IAAF World Athletics Championships after Dina Ram in 1991. His qualification for Doha happened at the March 2019 Federation Cup in Patiala.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)