Mumbai
In a captivating display of athleticism, Tirtha Pun from the Gorkha Regiment (Darjeeling) dashed defending champion Mohit Rathors hopes for a hat-trick of titles, claiming victory in the full marathon at the 11th All-India Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation Marathon held in Virar, Thane district, on Sunday. Clocking an impressive time of 2 hours and 21.48 minutes, Tirtha Pun secured the top honors in the event organized by the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation and the Vasai Taluka Kala Krida Vikas Mandal. Rathor, the defending champion, maintained pace with Pun for the first half of the 42-km race but faced cramps at the 30km mark, ultimately finishing second with a time of 2:26.43, just five seconds behind the winner. Tadakhe Sikandar Chindhu of Champawat, Uttarakhand claimed the third spot with a time of 2:28.36. Pun, who recently transitioned from half marathons to the longer distance, earned Rs 3 lakh for his victory, while Rathor settled for Rs 2 lakh. The mens Half Marathon saw M.D. Nurhasan emerge victorious with a time of 1:04.45, a mere 8 seconds outside the course record set in 2022. Puneet Yadav secured the second position in 1:04.49, followed closely by Arun Rathod at 1:04.53. The womens Half Marathon was won by Nagpurs Prajakta Godbole in 1:18.12, surpassing Tamsi Singh (1:20.09) and Phoolan Pal (1:20.28). The Half Marathon winners were awarded Rs 2 lakh each, adding to the excitement of the marathon event. The presence of high-profile dignitaries such as Krishna Prakash (IPS), Vishwas Nangre Patil (IPS), and former Collector of Palghar District Kailash Shinde (IAS) added prestige to the occasion.
