Ladakh squad sweeps women’s half marathon podium

On the podium at 2020 IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon: (from left) , Swati Gadhave, Jyoti Gawate and Jigmet Dolma. At far left is cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (Photo: courtesy Jyoti Gawate)

Rashpal Singh of the Indian Army and Maharashtra’s Jyoti Gawate defended their titles successfully, albeit with slower timing, at the fifth edition of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon held on February 23, 2020.

Rashpal secured gold in the men’s elite category with timing of 2:23:29, tad slower than his 2019 finish of 2:21:55 hours. Jyoti Gawate won the women’s elite race with timing of 2:50:37. She too was slower than her 2019 finish of 2:47:54 at the same event.

“ The race went off well. It was colder this time compared to last year,” Jyoti said. In the elite men’s race, Arjun Pradhan finished second with timing of 2:24:18. Sanvroo Yadav placed third with timing of 2:25:34.

In the elite women’s race, Swati Gadhave finished second with timing of 2:58:10, almost eight minutes behind the winner Jyoti Gawate. In third position was Jigmet Dolma from Ladakh with timing of 3:03:10. Jigmet, who finished a bit slower than her 2019 timing of 3:01:30, has been on a quest to go sub-three for some time now.

In the amateur male category, Kresstarjune Pathaw of Meghalaya was the winner of the marathon (2:35:10). Nandraj Singh Naruka came in second with timing of 2:40:40 and Anil Korvi finished third in 2:40:44.

In the amateur women’s segment of the race, the winner was Elizabeth Jebet Chelagai with timing of 2:53:27. Kavitha Reddy of Pune finished second in 3:18:34, nearly 25 minutes behind the winner. In third position was Rimpi Devi who finished in 3:18:49.

In the half marathon segment, Brimin Kipruto Komen was the winner of the men’s race; he covered the distance in1:09:27. Ajeet Singh came in second with timing of 1:10:35 and Amit Khanduri was third with timing of 1:10:44.

It was a Ladakhi sweep in the women’s half marathon race. Tashi Lodol won the race in 1:28:29. She was followed by Stanzin Chondol (1:31:14) and Stanzin Dolkar (1:31:44). All three of them and Jigmet Dolma, who placed third in the women’s marathon (as well as Tsetan Dolkar who finished fourth in the women’s marathon) are from the team of Ladakhi runners sponsored by Rimo Expeditions, which visits the races of the Indian plains every year during winter.

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