Dnyaneshwar and Varsha emerge winners

Dnyaneshwar Morgha and Varsha Devi won the men’s and women’s titles in the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon 2018 by finishing the race with timings of 1:12:03 and 1:29:47 respectively at the Jio Garden, BKC here on Sunday.

Sachin Tendulkar, Brand Ambassador, IDBI Federal Life Insurance, flagged off all the 3 races and felicitated the winners in the 3rd edition of the prestigious race, which saw enthusiastic participation from over 17,000 runners.  

 It was the second victory for Dnyaneshwar Morgha in the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon, having won the 2017 edition earlier. Parshram Bhoi, winner of the 10K last year, was the first runner-up in the 21K this time. In a very competitive race, Dnyaneshwar and runner-up Parshram ran together for 18km, before Dhyaneshwar broke away to take the lead. Parshram continued to give chase, finishing a close second with a timing of 1:12:08. Akshay Alande stood third with a timing of 1:16:01.

In the women’s category, Varsha Devi emerged the winner of the Mumbai Half Marathon, followed by Sayali Kupate with a timing of 1:31:17. Sayali kept up with Varsha for 13 km, but then Varsha increased her pace to take a comfortable lead. Deepa Mogha, the second runner-up, finished the race in 1:46:36.

 The Timed 10K run saw Shailesh Gangoda emerging as the winner in the Men’s category with a timing of 32:12, followed by Kantilal Kumbhare, who finished the race in 32:19, and Sanjay Zakane, who completed the race in 32:54. In the women’s category, Poonam Sonune placed first by completing the race in 37:54, whereas Rishu Singh and Jayashree Bhujade crossed the finish line in 38:57 and 40:31 respectively.     

 Sachin Tendulkar, Brand Ambassador, IDBI Federal Life Insurance said, “I am always excited to be a part of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon. It’s great to see the growth in participation this year, and I only expect more runners to participate in the marathon during the coming years. I am thankful to IDBI Federal Life Insurance for motivating the people of India towards healthy living.”

Vighnesh Shahane, CEO, IDBI Federal Life Insurance said, “Every year we see an increase in the number of participants, and this year we are proud to have over 17,000 participants running in all the three races. At IDBI Federal Life Insurance, our philosophy is to empower people to create the life and lifestyle of their choice, and our marathons provide a platform for encouraging a fitter India. The increasing participation every year sends out a positive message that more people in the country want to stay active and keep moving.”