Month: November 2021

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AT A GLANCE / NOVEMBER 2021

Ashish Kasodekar (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Pune ultra-runner to attempt 60 marathons in 60 days

Pune-based ultramarathoner, Ashish Kasodekar, plans to run 60 marathons in 60 days.

He plans to commence his endeavour on November 28, 2021.

The last of these marathons will be on January 26, 2022, coinciding with Republic Day.

The proposed feat has been cast in the form of a 60-day long running event, organised by Run Buddies.

The title sponsor of the event is Traveltime Car Rental Private Ltd.

The event, titled Ultra Dynamo, is being organised at Savitribai Phule Pune University. In 2019, Ashish had been the first Indian to complete the 555 km-category of La Ultra The High in Ladakh.

Alongside the latest challenge Ashish has set for himself, Run Buddies has organised runs of varying distances such as 5 km, 19 km, 21 km and 42 km. Runners wanting to participate can do so by registering for these runs.

“ I wanted to do something for my 50th birthday. My plan was to attempt this in April 2021 but I had to reschedule due to the pandemic and lockdown,’’ Ashish said.

According to him, support for the marathons, across the assigned 60 days, will be provided by the volunteers of Run Buddies. Many runners coming together to run the various distances will contribute to the overall momentum.

“ In such an event, recovery is most important. Good sleep and diet will be key elements,’’ Ashish said.

He is slated to do the Badwater 135 ultra-marathon in July 2022.

Jacob Kiplimo (This photo was downloaded from the Twitter handle of the athlete and is being used here for representation purpose. No copyright infringement intended)

Uganda’s Kiplimo sets new half marathon world record

Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda has broken the half marathon world record.

At an event in Lisbon, he covered the distance in 57 minutes and 31 seconds.

Kiplimo, who won the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at Tokyo Olympics earlier this year, broke the half marathon world record set previously by Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie in Valencia in 2020.

The Ugandan runner took one second off Kibiwott’s record.

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

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2021 NEW YORK CITY MARATHON / KORIR, JEPCHIRCHIR WIN

Albert Korir. This image was downloaded from the Twitter handle of NYCM; no copyright violation intended.

Shalane Flanagan successfully completes her challenge of running the six marathon majors in six weeks with sub-three hours timing in each.

Albert Korir of Kenya triumphed at the 50th edition of the TCS New York City Marathon, held on November 7, 2021.

He covered the distance in 2:08:22 hours. In 2019, he had been first runner-up at the same event (2:08:36).

Olympic champion, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya won among women at the 2021 New York City Marathon.

She finished the race in two hours, 22 minutes and 39 seconds.

In August, she had secured gold in the women’s marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with timing of 2:27:20.

In the men’s race in New York, Mohamed El Aaraby of Morocco finished second with timing of 2:09:06. In third position was Eyob Faniel of Italy with timing of 2:09:52.

Shalane Flanagan; this image was downloaded from the Twitter handle of NYCM.
Peres Jepchirchir; this image was downloaded from the Twitter handle of NYCM.

In the women’s race. finishing in second position behind Jepchirchir was her compatriot Viola Cheptoo (2:22:44). In third position was Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia (2:22:52).

American athlete Shalane Flanagan completed her challenge of running the six marathon majors in six weeks with sub-three hours timing in each; she got her best timing at the 2021 New York City Marathon (2:33:32). She ran the marathon at Berlin, London, Chicago, Boston, Portland and New York. The run in Portland was as part of the virtual version of the Tokyo Marathon.

Flanagan’s personal best in the marathon is 2:21:14 set in Berlin in September 2014.

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