Ahmedabad Marathon
The Ahmedabad Marathon (also known as the Adani Ahmedabad Marathon after its organisers), is an annual marathon organised in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat in the western part of India, on the last Sunday of every November.
Started in 2017, the Ahmedabad Marathon has races for a marathon of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 miles), a half marathon of 21.09 kilometres (13.19 miles), 10 kilometres, and 5-kilometre. [1]
In its early editions, the Ahmedabad Marathon drew nearly 20,000 participants. Subsequent editions saw over 17,000 runners participate. In 2021, the marathon was conducted through a time-slot-based system to accommodate over 8,000 runners across two days while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. The following year, the event witnessed over 12,000 participants joining the on-ground run.[2]
In 2023, which was the seventh edition, the Ahmedabad Marathon relocated to the Sabarmati Riverfront for the first time. Dave Cundy assumed the role of Race Director, and around 22,500 runners took part. [3]
Since 2021, the Ahmedabad Marathon has been part of the global Marathon Event List - AIMS World Running as well.
The 2023 edition of men’s marathon was won by Bhagatsingh Valvi while Seema won the women’s marathon.
The Ahmedabad Marathon is held in honour of India’s armed forces, with proceeds from registrations going towards them. In order to raise awareness for this, the hashtag "#Run4OurSoldiers” is used by runners and organisers of the event.[4]
History
The Ahmedabad Marathon was inaugurated in 2017 and was held in Shantigram till 2022.
The 2017 and 2018 editions saw nearly 20,000 runners every year and the 2019 and 2020 editions each witnessed 17,000 runners. Additionally, over 1,000 soldiers participate in the race every year. [5]
In the fifth edition, held in 2021, the participants had the option to select between on-ground and app-based remote running. The on-ground race was conducted in 2 slots - the morning slot and the evening slot. Kargil War veteran DP Singh was the brand ambassador of the 2021 edition of the Ahmedabad Marathon.[6]
The 2022 edition of the Ahmedabad Marathon was the last one to be held in Shantigram before it made the shift to Sabarmati Riverfront. In the same year, the Ahmedabad Marathon made it to ‘Global Marathon Event list - AIMS World Running.’ The 2022 Marathon consisted of Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10 Km run and the 5 Km run.[7]
In 2023, the marathon shifted from Shantigram to the Sabarmati Riverfront. The race categories include a full marathon, half marathon, 10 km run, and 5 km run.
Over 22,500 participants took part in this edition, which also saw the introduction of a wheelchair category. The 2023 Ahmedabad Marathon saw more than 2,500 officers from the armed forces and hundreds of police officers taking part.[8]
Course
The marathon begins and ends at the Sabarmati Riverfront. The route included landmarks such as the Atal Foot Over Bridge, the Gandhi Bridge, and the Mahakali Temple.
Course record
Nanjundappa M from India holds the men’s record for the fastest time to complete the Ahmedabad Marathon, finishing it in 02:27:28. He did it in 2022.
The women’s record is held by Jyoti Gawate from India for completing the full marathon in 03:01:20. She set the record in 2022, shaving off more than a minute from the previous record.
In 2022, Dinesh Kumar from India broke the course record for the men’s half marathon, finishing it in 01:05:36.
The women’s course record is for half marathon set by Prajakta Godbole from India for completing the half marathon in 01:18:37. She won the category with this effort in 2021.
Winners
| Edition | Date | Winner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 26-11-2017 | Umesh Kuvar | 02:44:46 |
| 2018 | 25-11-2018 | Karamveer Singh | 02:42:19 |
| 2019 | 24-11-2019 | Mahesh Wadhai | 02:34:57 |
| 2020 | 29-11-2020 | Bantu Parmat | 02:51:19 |
| 2021 | 27-11-2021 | Mohit Rathore | 02:28:02 |
| 2022 | 27-11-2022 | Nanjundappa M | 02:27:28 |
| 2023 | 26-11-2023 | Bhagatsingh Valvi | 02:30:16 |
References
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- ^ "7th Adani Ahmedabad Marathon on November 26". The Times of India. 2023-09-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "Adani Ahmedabad Marathon tomorrow, over 20K may participate". The Indian Express. 2023-11-25. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "7th Adani Ahmedabad Marathon on November 26". The Times of India. 2023-09-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "Adani Ahmedabad Marathon Returns with its 6th Edition, to Encourage Donations for Welfare of Armed Forces". News18. 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "Adani Ahmedabad Marathon 2023 To Take Place On November 26 | Athletics News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "In a first, Adani Ahmedabad Marathon to be held in wave format on Nov 27, 28". Sahara Samay. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "Adani Ahmedabad Marathon 2022 - Karma Daily". 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "Adani Ahmedabad Marathon tomorrow, over 20K may participate". The Indian Express. 2023-11-25. Retrieved 2024-07-23.