Date:14/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/14/stories/2006011406331800.htm

Sport - Athletics

Mumbai marathon on Sunday

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: A separate prize money structure for Indian runners will keep the likes of Bhairon Singh Lone and Reena Das motivated to achieve personal bests against quality competition at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2006 on Sunday. Swiss clothier, Switcher, has already announced sponsored entry into the Lausanne Marathon for Indian athletes winning the men's full marathon and women's half marathon.

Lone, the country's number two marathoner, will lead the local challenge. The Railways runner had clocked two hours, 21 minutes, 37 seconds at last November's Allahabad marathon, finishing behind Kennedy Chinna Ramu (2:21.00). The best Indian performer here in 2005 was Balaram (2:25.26) in 28th position overall.

A hamstring injury forced Ramu's withdrawal from this year's half-marathon, the Army Sports Institute (Pune) runner's exit leaving Jagannath Lakade (1:07.17) and Deep Chand (1:07.25) as the major faces in the fray on the strength of Delhi half-marathon performances.