Sudha, Srinu to headline Indian Elite athlete pack at TMM

Defending champion and course record holder Sudha Singh, Srinu Bugatha, Jyoti Gawte and Rashpal Singh are prepared to go head to head over the classic distance in Tata Mumbai Marathon on Sunday.

Among the top contenders is Sudha Singh, who won the Tata Mumbai Marathon in 2018 and 2019, achieving personal besting time of 2:34:56 in 2019. Coached under Bijendra Singh, Sudha is all set to be back on the marathon scene after a break of two months.

"This marathon will help me add more to training foundation and mentally prepare for future competitions. I have high hopes from the event given the better weather conditions this year," Sudha said.

"I could feel it during my morning run today though the humidity rose after 7.20 am," she added.

The Indian Army's Srinu Bugatha is too ready to set new records thanks to the two experienced pacers that are provided to him this year.

"Running with the two pacers tomorrow will help me attain my best timings. I am aiming for the course record of 2:16," he said.

Leading the half marathon men's pack will be Shankar Man Thapa, who was the runner-up in 2019. In the women's half marathon, veteran athlete Swati Gadhave will face opposition from 2019 runner-up and winner of 2018 edition Monica Athare.