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Local stars CB Benson and Reena Manohar captured the coveted marathon crowns in the Kochi Spice Coast Marathon 2024 at the Marine Drive in Kochi.
Making the most of an enjoyable route on a cool, overcast Sunday morning, Benson, comfortably tackled the 42.2 kilometres in 3:00:42. It was third time lucky for him after finishing second in the previous two editions. Justin (03:06:56) and Sreenidhi Sreekumar (03:08:49) grabbed the second and third positions. Reena Manohar did the star turn among women, covering the same distance in 04:50:06 to emerge victorious. Mary Joshy (04:53:59) and Nileena Babu (04:54:32) took the other honours in the gruelling run. "I am delighted to see so many running enthusiasts turn up so early in the morning. It's even more heartening to see so many women and elderly in the mix. I congratulate all the winners and indeed the runners for their brilliant performance and Ageas Federal Life Insurance for encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They have played a key role in turning it into one of the biggest sporting events in the city. I love being a part of this," Sachin Tendulkar, cricketing legend and brand ambassador of Ageas Federal Life Insurance, said. "It is indeed a proud moment for us at Ageas Federal Life Insurance to organize yet another successful edition of the Kochi Spice Coast Marathon. This, the 9th edition of the KSCM. It speaks volumes of our commitment to promote health and physical fitness in India," Jude Gomes, MD & CEO of Ageas Federal Life Insurance, said. He added: In Kochi, every year, running enthusiasts look forward to participating in this unique run and this year is no different. We are very happy with the huge response from runners from across age groups. We hope this positive trend continues and Kochi leads the way, as our country moves towards adopting a fitter lifestyle to become Future Fearless." Organised by Soles of Kochi, the marathon saw over 8,000 participants in the different formats on offer. Several NGOs and corporates fielded teams, led by Kochi Police with 126 members, including 50 women. Air India, Indian Navy, RBI, IOC and Cochin Shipyard were some of the other popular groups. In the other highlight of the day, Sajith KM (1:21:23) completed a grand hat-trick, winning the half-marathon title for the third time in succession. Athul Raj (01:22:37) and Vishnu VR (01:23:05) grabbed the other two positions on the podium. Among women, AK Rama (1:55:33), Jaseena Khani (1:58:03) and Bismy Augustine (1:59:00) were the winners. Results Full Marathon (42.2 km) Men: 1. CB Benson (03:00:42); 2. Justin (03:06:56); 3. Sreenidhi Sreekumar (03:08:49) Women: 1. Reena Manohar (04:50:06); 2. Mary Joshy (04:53:59); 3. Nileena Babu (04:54:32) Half Marathon (21.1 Km) Men: 1. Sajith KM (01:21:23); 2. Athul Raj (01:22:37); 3. VR Vishnu (01:23:05) Women: 1. AK Rama (01:55:33); 2. Jaseena Khani (01:58:03); 3. Bismy Augustine (01:59:00).(ANI)
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