Chandan Yadav and Ravina Gayakwad Triumph at Mumbai Half Marathon 2024

College students Chandan Yadav and teenager Ravina Gayakwad won the men's and women's titles at the eighth Ageas Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon 2024. Yadav finished in 1:11.01 minutes while Gayakwad, making her 21K debut, clocked 1:27.43 minutes. The event saw participation from over 20,000 runners.

College students Chandan Yadav of Badohi district in Uttar Pradesh and teenager Ravina Gayakwad from Nashik, Maharashtra, clinched the men's and women's titles respectively at the eighth Ageas Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon 2024.

Yadav, aged 21 and a seasoned runner, crossed the finish line in 1:11.01 minutes, edging ahead of rivals about half a kilometre before the end. Following closely was Nitish Kumar, who secured second place with a time of 1:11.54 minutes, while Piyush Masane finished third in 1:13.20 minutes.

In the women's category, 19-year-old Ravina Gayakwad, a newcomer to the 21K, won with a remarkable time of 1:27.43 minutes, ahead of second-place finisher Senait Lesharge who clocked 1:29.41 minutes. Rukamani Bhoure took third with a time of 1:31.23 minutes. Gayakwad, who has been training for only three months, expressed her joy at timing her breakaway perfectly.

In the men's 10K race, Yuvraj Yadav triumphed with a time of 31.50 seconds, followed by Manish Kumar Nayak and Amit Mali. Sonali Desai, meanwhile, defended her title in the women's 10K by clocking 39.47 minutes. The event attracted over 20,000 participants, including visually impaired runners, wheelchair athletes, and 150 children from the Mitrayana NGO.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who presented the awards, emphasized the importance of integrating sports into daily life for mental and physical well-being. He praised the widespread participation, noting the success of marathon partnerships across India.

(With inputs from agencies.)