Chandan Yadav and Ravina Gayakwad win men’s and women’s titles in Mumbai Half Marathon 2024

College students Chandan Yadav of Badohi district in Uttar Pradesh and teenager Ravina Gayakwad from Nashik in Maharashtra won the Men’s and Women’s titles respectively in the 8th Ageas Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon 2024 on Sunday morning.

The seasoned Yadav, 21, who has quite a few podium finishes to his credit, breasted the tape in 1:11.01 minutes after surging ahead of the pack about half a kilometer before the finish line.

Nitish Kumar trooped in second in 1:11.54 while Piyush Masane secured a distant third place in 1:13.20 mins.

In the Women’s run, 19-year-old Ravina, made her debut in the 21K a memorable one, winning by a comfortable margin in 1:27.43 minutes.

She finished almost two minutes ahead of Senait Lesharge (1:29.41) while Rukamani Bhoure settled for bronze in 1:31.23 minutes.

The wiry Ravina had trained for just three months for this event after taking to athletics only recently.

“I worked hard for this win and timed my breakaway to perfection,” said an elated Chandan Yadav after receiving his winner’s cheque and medal from cricket icon and Ageas Federal Life Insurance brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar.

In the Men’s 10K race, Yuvraj Yadav raced to glory in 31.50 with Manish Kumar Nayak taking silver in 32.14 3 and Amit Mali the bronze in 33.25.

In the Women’s section, Sonali Desai returned to winning ways for the second year in succession clocking 39.47 mins while Divya Pingale wrested second place in 41.50 and Rajni Tyagi stood third in 43.52.

Over 20,000 runners took part in the event organized by NEB Sports. The races started and ended at the Jio Gardens in the Bandra Kurla Complex.

Runners competed in four race categories – 21K, 10K, 5K and 3K family run and a special race for over 1,000 school children. The field included over 1,500 athletes from the Indian Navy besides blind and disabled runners.

Speaking on the sidelines, Sachin Tendulkar spoke warmly of the energetic and exciting atmosphere that permeated the event and the increase in the participation of women runners.

"As Indians, we love sports, but it's time to embrace sports as a way of life by participating in various sports for their mental and physical benefits. Our partnership with marathons across India has yielded success. I was thrilled to see Mumbaikars wake up early not only to run but also to cheer on the participants! Congratulations to the runners who completed the distance and to all those who participated in the shorter runs. Let's keep embracing sports as a lifestyle choice!" he said.

Expressing happiness over the staging of yet another edition of the event, Arvind Shahi, CEO, Ageas Federal Life Insurance, said, “It is indeed a proud moment for us at Ageas Federal Life Insurance to organize yet another successful edition of the Mumbai Half Marathon. In fact, this is the 8th edition of the MHM this year, which speaks volumes of our commitment to promoting health and physical fitness in India.

“Our aim at Ageas Federal Life Insurance is to not only promote financial fitness but also physical fitness amongst the masses. Over the years, through our marathons, runs and sports sponsorships, we have been helping people to stay fit and healthy across the country.

“In Mumbai, every year, running enthusiasts look forward to participating in this unique monsoon run and this year is no different. We are very happy with the huge response from runners from across age groups. We hope this positive trend continues and Mumbai leads the way, as our country moves towards adopting a fitter lifestyle to become Future Fearless.”

A team of visually impaired runners assisted by Guide India Runners also took part along with physically disabled, wheelchair athletes, and other specially-abled participants. Over 150 kids from the Mitrayana NGO also participated in the event for the first time.

Results

Half marathon (21k):

Men: 1. Chandan Yadav 1:11.0 2. Nitish Kumar 1:11.54 3. Piyush Masane 1:13.20.

Women: 1. Ravina Gayakwad 1:27.43 2. Senait Lesharge 1:29.41 3. Rukamini Bhoure 1:31.23.

10 km

Men: 1. Yuvraj Yadav 31.50 2. Manish Kumar Nayak 32.14 3. Amit Mali 33.25.

Women: 1. Sonali Desai 39.47 2. Divya Pingale 41.50 3. Rajni Tyagi 43.52.