Two dead during Mumbai marathon; over 59,000 runners swarm city

According to information from Nair Hospital, Banerjee suffered from exhaustion, and his condition affected his kidneys and liver. As per doctor from Bombay Hospital, Rajendra Bora suffered a heart attack.

The streets of Mumbai swarmed with enthusiastic runners on Sunday as 59,515 people participated in seven categories of the event. Apart from competitive run, the event had categories such as Dream Run, Senior Citizens’ Run and the 1.3-kilometre Champions with Disabilities Run. The number of participants went up from 55,212 last year when the annual Mumbai marathon was back after a two-year break owing to the Covid -19 pandemic.

Ethiopian runners dominated the full marathon of 42 kilometres, with defending champion Hayle Lemi Berhanu and Aberash Minsewo winning the men’s and women’s race, respectively. While Lemi recorded a timing of 2:07:50, among Indian men, Srinu Bugatha recorded the best timing of 2:17:29, followed by Gopi Thonakal and Sher Singh Tanwar. Nirmaben Thakor Bharatjee was the first among the Indian women runners to finish the race.

“The competitive intent is what drove me to compete in this race and the shared interest of running,” said Sameer Lalwani, a 44-year-old man from Mumbai participating in his fourth Mumbai marathon.

Actors Rahul Bose, Kalki Koechlin, Tara Sharma and Milind Soman participated even as lyricist Gulzar and Priya Dutt too were spotted.

Almost 2,000 senior citizens were part of the event, which saw Mumbaikars coming out in large numbers. Himanshu Kapadia, who completed his 16th Mumbai Half Marathon this time was showing his support to Ujaas, an initiative by the Aditya Birla Education Trust that aims to create a positive and sustainable impact in menstrual health.

For many, their association with the marathon is also a part of their personal fitness journey. Yash Kapasi (24), who participated in the 10K run said, “Being consistent with training for the marathon while managing your day-to-day was a challenge. This journey has been a personal win for me… I had a health scare last year which made me realise the importance of working out regularly, and running this marathon was the first step into my fitness journey.”

During the 5.9-km Dream Run, participants danced and played music. “It was a fun event which was more like a walk… Mumbai Marathon is more than a race — it is also a celebration of life and Mumbai’s undying spirit,” said Rajan Honavar, a 64-year-old cancer survivor advocating for an NGO.