Tea vendor Ashok Patil, who got a pair of running shoes as a gift from the Raymond Hume, executive producer of the Mumbai Marathon broadcasting rights holder on Friday, was delighted to have completed the full marathon, clocking 3:50:13 yesterday.
MiD DAY reported on how Patil sold tea during the day near Crawford Market and trained hard in the early hours of the morning at Marine Drive for the Marathon.
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Ashok Patil
Patil is elated that despite overcoming a troublesome left ankle and without much practice he was able to complete the distance. The 26-year-old who made his full marathon debut yesterday, said: “I wasn’t sure if I could complete the 42km race. The ankle injured I suffered during the Vasai-Virar marathon hampered my practice sessions. For me, timing was not a concern. My target was to finish the marathon. I am glad that I crossed the finish line in less than four hours though. The new pair of shoes were very comfortable. I hope to finish under three hours in the next edition,” said Patil, who was featured on television yesterday.
Pune-Based Army Captain Avnish Bajpai who ran the half marathon with the help of a prosthetic left leg, clocked 2:41:48. But the 25-year-old, who lost his leg in a blast, is not happy.
Avnish Bajpai. Pics/Sundari Iyer.
“I am glad that the Indian Army gave me permission to participate in the marathon. They even dished out the best facilities including the limb. I am still not happy with my timing. I could have done better,” Bajpai, who is currently serving in the 19th Dogra Regiment, told MiD DAY yesterday.
His prosthetic surgeon Wing Commander CM Satish was overflowing with praise for his patient. “Avnish’s achievement is no mean feat. He will be operated on January 24 again as there are some splinters in his leg that need to be removed. He has completed the marathon with pain in his leg and I am sure that he will do better next time,” said Satish.
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