As the countdown to Asia's most prestigious marathon begins, Procam International, promoters of the iconic event, today announced 44407 registrations including the crème de la creme in long-distance running, lining-up to vie for the top honours at Tata Mumbai Marathon 2018.
The USD 405,000 event will witness a supreme battle between world class athletes and India's best. Getting off the blocks will be Ethiopia's Tokyo Marathon 2017 runner-up Solomon Deksisa and Mumbai Marathon 2017 runner-up Kenya's Joshua Kipkorir; while the women's category will see the defending champion Kenya's Bornes Kitur and 2017 Ljubljana Marathon winner Ethiopia's Shuko Genemo.
The Indian men's field will be headlined by Asian Marathon Champion Gopi T, along with Nitendra Singh Rawat, Mumbai Marathon 2016 course record holder; whilst Asian & Commonwealth Steeplechase Gold Medallist Sudha Singh will lead the women's challenge along with L Suriya the fastest Indian women and course record holder for Airtel Delhi Half Marathon and Tata Steel Kolkata 25K. The Indian contingent will be paced by Hendrick Ramaala, the New York Marathon and Mumbai Marathon winner in 2004.
In an overwhelming response, the event heralded a new high with registrations across all six categories of races from over 30 nationalities. 21st January will bring together the elites, the working athletes, the differently abled, the young at heart, the affluent, the Housewife, the Industrialists, the Celebrities, the Police, the Navy, the Army, the College Student all showcasing the 'Can Do...Will Do' spirit of the event.
The feature race will witness a participation of 6955 runners, while 14950 runners will run the Half Marathon. The inaugural Timed 10K Run has 1652 runners in its debut year. The Senior Citizens and the Champions with Disability Run will witness 1130 and 1220 runners, respectively. Mumbai's favourite, the very colourful Dream Run will have 18500 enthusiastic runners take to the road adding to the carnival-like atmosphere.
TCS has been actively involved in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle with a focus on fit workforce. Globally, we have been leveraging our Fit4Life initiative as well as external partnerships with leading international distance running properties to promote wellness and community development among our employees, their families, and our customers. Tata Mumbai Marathon is a great way to increase our engagement with the community, raise funds for charity as well as create societal awareness about the necessity of good health and fitness".
