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After winning Ironman title 13 times, Dr Kaustubh Radkar is the fastest at Comrades Marathon

The Comrades Marathon is the world's largest and oldest race, and run annually in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

Dr Kaustubh Radkar, ironman, Marathon, pune marathon, Comrades Marathon, pune Comrades Marathon, indian express news, pune news, latest news Dr Kaustubh Radkar (holding flag) recorded the fastest time for an Indian at the Comrades Marathon in South Africa. Also seen are the other participants from Pune who completed the challenging race.

NINE RUNNERS from Pune breezed through the most challenging race, ‘The Comrades Marathon’, an ultra marathon of 89.2 km-run held annually in South Africa but it was Dr Kaustubh Radkar, a 13-time Ironman, who didn’t lose his momentum, recording the fastest timing for an Indian and completed the event in 8 hours and 47 minutes. The Comrades Marathon held on May 29 was a first for Radkar who is veteran.

The time limit for the event was 12 hours, Radkar told The Indian Express, when contacted in South Africa. “I was the fastest male with a timing of 8.47.44 and according to the rules if the runner completes the event under nine hours then he/she gets the Bill Rowan medal,” said Radkar, who in the history of Comrades Marathon is the second fastest Indian (the first being Amit Seth).

Out of a total of 90 people from across India , nine persons including Radkar participated from Pune. The others were Amod Bhate, Ajit Oak, Vinita Jadhavrao, Kishor Dhankude, Atul Godbole, Sameer Chitre, Sameer Wagle and Krishna Sirothia.

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The Comrades Marathon is the world’s largest and oldest race, and run annually in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. The direction of the race alternates each year between the ‘up’ run starting from Durban and the ‘down’ run starting from Pietermartizburg. The Comrades was running for the first time on May 24, 1921 and till date, over three lakh runners have completed the race. The race was the idea of World War 1 veteran Vic Clapham to commemorate the South African soldiers killed during the war.

Organised by the Comrades Marathon Committee, this year’s winner was David Gatebe who set a new record of completing the event in five hours and 18 minutes while among the women, the winner was Charne Bosman who completed the event in six hours and 25 minutes.

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Almost 22,000 runners took part in the 2016 Comrades Marathon. While Radkar was the fastest Indian because of the timing, the second fastest was Kiran Giri from Mumbai who registered a timing of nine hours and 57 minutes to complete the event.

“I have been competing in the Ironman event for several years and this was the first time I was participating in the Comrades Marathon. This was a different challenge but I followed my own regimen of two long runs- one of 40 km and another of 50 km. This was against others who were running 100-120 km every week as training practice. But I wanted my body to recover,” said 34-year-old Radkar.

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I believe in constantly challenging myself and that’s what keeps me going. It helps to keep the mind focussed, said Radkar, who has now set his goal on Ironman event to be held on August 20 at Sweden.

Dr. Kaustubh Radkar is a health care consultant in sports medicine and cardiac rehabilitation

First uploaded on: 01-06-2016 at 01:17 IST
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