Lone ranger wins Marathon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG 2: The capital city is turning out to be a lucky venue for Bhairav Singh Lone. The 27-year-old railway ticket col...

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG 2: The capital city is turning out to be a lucky venue for Bhairav Singh Lone. The 27-year-old railway ticket collector from Indore, changed gears midway through the 42.195 km course to win the fifth Good Knight AAFI-Travancore Marathon, grabbing his second title in his second appearance here, timing two hours 24 minutes 48 seconds. In less than two and half hours, Lone was richer by Rs 1 lakh, the highest prize-money event to be won by an Indian athlete in India.

Half way into the race, hundreds of people including school children gathered on both sides the road had no doubts about the outcome of the race. Lone clinically performed the spectacle to cross the finish line with none of the rivals in sight for another 1.5 km. Kerala8217;s K Anil Kumar, employed with CRPF, came a good six minutes behind to pocket Rs. 50,000 while last year8217;s winner Vijay Singh Mann of Artillery Centre, Hyderabad came third and took Rs 25,000.

Lone was accompanied by his Telco coach R Ramesan who egged himfrom the start to finish on a motorcycle. The coach who hails from Kerala said: 8220;He could have performed better. But the two ups in the first five kilometres slowed him initially. However, he ran to the plan of keeping pace with the lead bunch in the first 20 km and taking the lead in the latter 20-odd km.8221;Lone had no idea on what to do with the cash prize. 8220;Probably, I will spend it for my diet,8221; the unassuming former National junior champion in 5000 m said. He had earlier won the Travancore Marathon in 1997.

The settings were perfect for the test of endurance as the race began in a sunny but cool morning. It was carnival like atmosphere all through the route with hundreds of schoolchildren, with colourful tableaux, lustily cheering the runners.

Initially Ashok Kumar, Rajeshwar Prasad Verma, Lone, Sudheer, Anil Kumar, Pradeep Singh led the pack. At 10 km mark, Ashok Kumar was leading with Rajeshwar, Lone, Vijay following closely. Rajeshwar and Lone allowed only a lead of 500 m to Vijay8217;s pacer Ashoktill 21 km.

With hardly 10 km left to reach the finish line at the University Stadium, the ever-increasing crowd on either side of the road left space just sufficient for a four wheeler to squeeze through, Lone surged ahead leaving the rest of the contenders in lurch.

Ashok, who was in the race till 35 km, was seen hitch-hiking to reach the venue leaving Rajeshwar, Anil and Vijay to battle it out for the rest of the places. Of the 84 runners who competed, 28 completed, 11 were disqualified and 45 discontinued.

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Vijay said that he was yet to recover from a race he ran in July. He said that the route and climate were ideal for a meet of this level.Anil Kumar told newsmen that after he was ejected out of the CRPF marathon team, alleging discrimination on language problem, 8220;I was determined to prove myself.8221; Now it is up to CRPF officials to provide the best for the 25-year-old Kollam lad.

Results with representation, timing and prize money in bracket:

1. Bhairv Singh Lone Rlys, 2:24.48, Rs1,00,000, 2. K Anil Kumar CRPF, 2:30.01, Rs 50,000, 3. Vijay Singh Mann Artillery Centre, Hyd, 2:34.57, Rs 25,000, 4. Ranjan Boro MP, 2:40.02, Rs 7000, Pradeep Singh CISF, 2;41.29, Rs 5000, Don Bosco Rlys, 2:43.49, Rs 4000, K K Prabhu Rlys, 2:44.46 Rs 1000, Vajan Singh Hyd, 2:45.50, Rs 1000, Rajeshwar Prasad Bihar Police, 2:50.14, Rs 1000.