New Delhi
The 3rd IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon will witness Rio Olympian Nitendra Singh Rawat, Rio Olympian and Defending Champion Gopi T, and Kheta Ram in the men’s category, along with Monica Athare, Jyoti Gawate in the women’s category on race day Sunday, 25 February 2018 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
All the four races will be flagged off by “face of the event,” Sachin Tendulkar, with the Full Marathon scheduled to start at 4.30am.
In all, a total of 65 elite Indian athletes will fire up the starting line. Running the second consecutive year, Gopi T, will be defending his title and is brimming with confidence for the top slot on the podium. “I’ve practised a lot for the New Delhi Marathon. Since, I wasn’t able to give my best timing in Mumbai, I’ll try hard to achieve my best timing here. The weather and the route in Delhi is always good. I’m sure that the weather conditions will help me get a good timing so that I can qualify for both Commonwealth and Asian Games.”
Nitendra Singh Rawat, who stood second in the full marathon in Mumbai last month and lost to fellow contender Gopi T said “Compared to Mumbai, the route and the weather in Delhi are really good. Our practice session has been good so far and I hope we all qualify for the Commonwealth Games.”
Kheta Ram who stood 3rd in the Half Marathon here last year, will be running the Full marathon this year; he feels that “the weather is really favourable in Delhi and will help him achieve his best timing. The IDBI Federal life insurance New Delhi Marathon is my first full marathon. We all have practiced hard for this marathon,” said Kheta Ram.
All three trained together at Ooty, Tamil Nadu and they feel that the Ooty weather is very much like Delhi which will help them achieve their goal.
Monica Athare made her full marathon debut here at the IDBI Federal New Delhi Marathon 2017, and went on to win the title in her maiden attempt. In her second attempt here, her target is to complete the race with a good qualifying time to make the cut for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. “I have prepared myself well, and look forward to making the qualifying mark for CWG,” said Athare.
“Although I’m from Mumbai, I enjoy running in Delhi. Both the route and the weather here in Delhi are very good. I feel that the weather will make it favourable for me to make a good timing here, and qualify for the Commonwealth Games. I came second in Mumbai last month and now I am looking for a first position here,” said Jyoti Gawate.