Cold weather, early start could see new Mumbai marathon record

Temperatures in Mumbai have plummeted in the last few days thanks to snow fall in the northern parts of the country. And while that may not be great news to the average winter-wary Mumbaikar, it's a welcome sign for the Mumbai marathon.


Hugh Jones

"Lower temperatures help distance runners and going by Mumbai's cold weather this time round, I'm sure last year's course record of 2:09:54 secs by Ethiopian Girima Assefa will be shattered on Sunday. Besides, the 7:25 am start to the full marathon (elite runners) is a good 15 minutes earlier than last year too," said Mumbai marathon brand ambassador John Abraham.

Race director Hugh Jones could not agree more, though he didn't predict anything. "Impact on course timings depends on the conditions prevalent on race day, rather than the general weather conditions. However, having said that, yes, an earlier start time and cool weather will definitely help athletes push for faster timings," Jones told MiD DAY.u00a0