Date:08/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/08/stories/2007100860772100.htm

Sport - Athletics

Bandara, Anuradi emerge champions

K. Keerthivasan

COLOMBO: The abiding spirit of long-distance running overshadowed all else in the eighth Colombo Marathon, which concluded here on Sunday. Sixty-two-year-old Swiss Robby Eger, with a gala-like reception at the finish-line, completed the full marathon in a remarkable time of three hours and 40 minutes; 58-year-old Hajime Nishi of Japan took his time to finish last in eight hours.

With his grandmother encouraging him from the sidelines, 14-year-old local boy Jerome did it in four and a half hours.

All these showed clearly what marathon is really about. It’s not only about winning. It’s about demonstrating endurance, and most important, it’s about the joy one gets in participating, and racing with others.

For the record, Sri Lankans grabbed all the top-three places in the men’s and women’s sections of the full and half-marathon respectively.

Ajit Bandara in men and Lakmini Anuradi in women emerged winners in full marathon, while P.G.S.K. Wickramasinghe and V. Krishanthini came up trumps in the half-marathon.

Ajit and Lakmini, full marathon champions, belong to the Armed Forces.

They said their next objective is to perform even better in the forthcoming marathon to be held in Mumbai in January 2008.

Ajit and Lakmini received Sri Lankan rupees worth 50,000 and an air-ticket from the Sri Lankan airlines to (and fro) any marathon.

The runner-up and third-place got Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 15,000 respectively.

Sri Lankan Minister for Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge distributed the prizes.

The results (all Sri Lankans): Full-marathon (42.195 kms): Men: 1. Ajit Bandara (2h 26min 37s), 2. Siva Perumal (2:28.43), 3. Chaminda Asanka (2:30.17).

Women: 1. Lakmini Anuradi (3:25:20), 2. A.A.D. Mallika Chandrakanthi (3:43.20), 3. Deepika Hemanthi (4:04.04).

Half-marathon (21.0975 kms): Men: 1. P.G.S.K. Wickramasinghe (1:14.28), 2. A. Deva Kumar (1:14.48), 3. K. Selvakumar (1:14.51).

Women: V. Krishanthini (01:39.01), 2. S.P. Perera (01.42.0), 3. K.M. Chiranca (01:42.1)