Chandan Yadav and Ravina Gayakwad Win Big at 8th Mumbai Half Marathon 2024
On Sunday morning, college student Chandan Yadav from Badohi district in Uttar Pradesh and teenager Ravina Gayakwad from Nashik, Maharashtra, emerged victorious in the Men’s and Women’s titles, respectively, at the 8th Mumbai Half Marathon 2024.
Men’s Half Marathon
Chandan Yadav, who has several podium finishes, won the race with a time of 1:11.01 minutes. He surged ahead of the pack about half a kilometre before the finish line. Nitish Kumar came in second with a time of 1:11.54, and Piyush Masane secured third place with 1:13.20 minutes.
Chandan expressed his joy, saying, “I worked hard for this win and timed my breakaway to perfection.” He received his winner’s cheque and medal from cricket icon and tournament’s brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar.
Women’s Half Marathon
In the Women’s run, 19-year-old Ravina Gayakwad made her debut in the 21K race memorable by winning with a time of 1:27.43 minutes. She finished almost two minutes ahead of Senait Lesharge, who clocked 1:29.41, while Rukamani Bhoure took third place with 1:31.23 minutes. Ravina had trained for just three months for this event.
10K Race
In the Men’s 10K race, Yuvraj Yadav won with a time of 31.50 minutes. Manish Kumar Nayak took second place with 32.14 minutes, and Amit Mali secured third with 33.25 minutes. In the Women’s section, Sonali Desai won for the second year in a row with a time of 39.47 minutes. Divya Pingale came in second with 41.50 minutes, and Rajni Tyagi took third with 43.52 minutes.
Event Highlights
Over 20,000 runners participated in the event organized by NEB Sports. The races started and ended at the Jio Gardens in the Bandra Kurla Complex. Participants competed in four race categories: 21K, 10K, 5K, and 3K family run, along with a special race for over 1,000 school children. The event also included over 1,500 athletes from the Indian Navy, as well as blind and disabled runners.
Sachin Tendulkar praised the energetic atmosphere and the increase in women participants. He encouraged everyone to embrace sports as a way of life for their mental and physical benefits.
Arvind Shahi, CEO of Ageas Federal Life Insurance, expressed pride in organizing the event, highlighting their commitment to promoting health and physical fitness in India.
Results
| Category | Position | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half Marathon (Men) | 1 | Chandan Yadav | 1:11.01 |
| 2 | Nitish Kumar | 1:11.54 | |
| 3 | Piyush Masane | 1:13.20 | |
| Half Marathon (Women) | 1 | Ravina Gayakwad | 1:27.43 |
| 2 | Senait Lesharge | 1:29.41 | |
| 3 | Rukamani Bhoure | 1:31.23 | |
| 10K (Men) | 1 | Yuvraj Yadav | 31.50 |
| 2 | Manish Kumar Nayak | 32.14 | |
| 3 | Amit Mali | 33.25 | |
| 10K (Women) | 1 | Sonali Desai | 39.47 |
| 2 | Divya Pingale | 41.50 | |
| 3 | Rajni Tyagi | 43.52 |
Doubts Revealed
Chandan Yadav -: Chandan Yadav is a runner from Uttar Pradesh, a state in India. He won the Men’s title at the 8th Mumbai Half Marathon 2024.
Ravina Gayakwad -: Ravina Gayakwad is a runner from Maharashtra, another state in India. She won the Women’s title at the 8th Mumbai Half Marathon 2024.
Mumbai Half Marathon -: A half marathon is a long-distance running race of 21.1 kilometers. The Mumbai Half Marathon is an annual event held in Mumbai, a big city in India.
Indian Navy -: The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Some of its members participated in the marathon.
specially-abled participants -: Specially-abled participants are people with disabilities who also took part in the marathon.
Sachin Tendulkar -: Sachin Tendulkar is a famous former Indian cricketer. He was the brand ambassador for the marathon event.
brand ambassador -: A brand ambassador is a person who promotes and represents an event or product. Sachin Tendulkar did this for the marathon.
NEB Sports -: NEB Sports is a company that organizes sports events, like the Mumbai Half Marathon.
