New Delhi: The TATA Mumbai Marathon took a tragic turn on Sunday as a 74-year-old man and a 40-year-old participant named Suvradeep Banerjee collapsed and passed away during the event. Banerjee, a seasoned marathoner and software engineer from Kolkata, collapsed near the Haji Ali Junction, while Rajendra Bora, the senior citizen, fell on the road near a petrol pump close to a popular pizza joint opposite Marine Drive.

Worryingly, the organizers faced heightened concerns when an additional 22 participants were hospitalized for reasons such as dehydration. Meanwhile, Ethiopian runners Hayle Lemi Berhanu and Aberash Minsewo, defending champions, secured the men’s and women’s titles, respectively.

Among Indian men, Srinu Bugatha achieved the best finish with a time of 2:17:29, followed by Gopi Thonakal (2:18:37) and Sher Singh Tanwar (2:19:37), as reported by local media. Notably, two Indian runners made it to the top 10 elite men’s runners list.

“I was aiming for the course record, but the last five kilometers were not good,” said Srinu, who has been working hard to improve his timing since 2013. Gopi and Srinu ran together until the 27-kilometer mark, but Gopi faced fitness issues and had to take breaks due to cramping.

In the men’s elite event, Lemi secured a second consecutive win in the gold label race with a time of 2:07:50. Haymanot Alew came second with a time of 2:09:03, while Mitku Tafa finished third at 2:09:58. Lemi expressed his disappointment at missing the course record by just three kilometers.

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