Defending champs Suresh Kumar, Lalita Babbar lead Indian field for ADHM 2012; Kavita Raut to run after gap of three years
Suresh Kumar, the Indian men’s defending champion and Lalita Babbar, the women’s defending champion from the last two editions, will lead the Indian elite field for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, to be flagged off from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on September 30.
There will be added attraction for the Indian athletes this time around, with promoters Procam International announcing a bonus of Rs 1 lakh for a new course record. The men’s course record of 64 minutes was set by Deepchand Saharan in 2009, while the women’s course record of 67.12 is held by Kavita Raut, set in 2008.
Kavita Raut, winner in 2007 and 2008, makes an appearance in the event after a gap of three years and will definitely be looking to win the event and also lower her own record.
The men’s field will also have 2010 winner Irappa D Akki, besides fast running names like Soj Mathew, M D Yunus, V L Dangi, Kheta Ram, Ajay Patel, Indrajeet Patel, Ratti Ram Saini, Sandeep Singh Patel, Pritam Bind, Angad Kumar and full marathon specialist Lyngkhoi Bining, in the field of 73 elite Indian males.
Among the women, besides Lalita and Kavita, the other fancied names are Sudha Singh, last year’s runner-up Kiran Tiwari, besides the young Monica Athare, winner of the recent World 10K Bangalore and the athlete who is currently making waves in the distance running circuit. Also among the field of 35 elite women are names like Sukaya Mall, 2009 winner, Pampa Chanda, Priyanka Singh Patel, 2001 Mumbai Marathon winner and Shastri Devi, to name a few.
