🏅Highlights of TMM 2024, Race Report of Vagamon Ultrail, Man Singh creates history, Drop squats and much more...
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
Drop squat helps runners improve proprioception, balance, explosiveness, strength, and power. Know how to do this at this week’s #WoW
Our friend Nakul, participated at Vagamon Ultra, in the 60k category and secured first runners-up. Nakul's race, marked by strategic pacing and navigational challenges, highlighted the nature of this challenging event. More on this in his race report #GeeksOnFeet
Ethiopians Hayle Lemi and Aberash Minsewo won the men’s and women’s elite races, respectively, at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024. More on this at #RunSHORTS
Man Singh has made history as the second Indian man to win gold at the Asian Marathon Championships, achieving this feat with a personal best time. More on this at #RunSHORTS
Happy reading!
#GeeksPoll
Runners, what do you find to be the toughest challenge when running a marathon?
#WoW - Drop Squat
Drop squatting helps runners in multiple ways. It helps in improving proprioception and balance. Since this is a dynamic workout, it also helps in improving explosiveness, strength, and power.
How to do it?
This is a dynamic workout and thus one needs to warm up well before executing
Start by keeping your feet together, and engage your core as shown in figure A
Keep your chest upright and hands on the side for free movement
Now jump in place, and as you do that spread your feet away from each other instantly as shown in figure B
Simultaneously bend your knees to 90 degrees and get into a squat position as you land as shown in figure C
As you drop into the squat, swing your arms out in front of you for balance
Ensure you land your feet softly on the ground
As you get up from the squat position, jump up back by pushing through the heels, and bring your feet together to the starting position
Repeat this desired number of times
When to do it?
As part of your strength training do 2 sets of 10-12 repeats.
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@GeeksonFeet - Race Report: Vagamon Ultrail 60K
Vagamon Ultrail is a trail race amidst lush tea estates in Vagamon, Kerala. Organized by Soles of Cochin, this community-driven event offered various categories, emphasizing a semi-technical course ideal for transitioning from road to trail. Nakul secured 2nd place in the 60k race of 2024 edition. Nakul's race, marked by strategic pacing and navigational challenges, highlighted the nature of this challenging event. His training and experience played a crucial role in overcoming the demanding terrain and weather conditions. Read the full race report here.
#RunSHORTS
Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024: Ethiopian runners Hayle Lemi, Aberash Minsewo wins races
Ethiopians Hayle Lemi and Aberash Minsewo won the men’s and women’s elite races, respectively, at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024. Hayle Lemi, who set the new course record with a timing of 2:07:32 last year, clocked 2:07:50 for the top spot this season.
Interestingly, all podiums in the elite race went to the Ethiopian runners. Lemi, who won the 2016 Boston Marathon, was followed by Haymanot Alew, who took the silver in the men’s event in 2:09:03. Mitku Tafa settled for bronze in 2:09:58. Aberash Minsewo, meanwhile, won the women’s race in 2:26:06, while Muluhabt Tsega took the silver in 2:26:51 and Medhin Bejene clocked a personal best to take the bronze in 2:27:34.
Among Indian elite runners, Mumbai Marathon 2020 champion Srinu Bugatha pipped 2023 champion Gopi T and won the men’s race in 2:17:29 while Nirmaben Thakor Bharatjee won the women’s race in 2:47:11. Gopi T followed Bugatha in 2:18:37 while Sher Singh Tanwar completed the Indian men’s podium, clocking 2:19:37. Nirmaben Thakor Bharatjee, meanwhile, beat second-placed Reshma Kevate by a margin of 16 minutes and 23 seconds. Shyamali Singh came third among the Indian women in 3:04:35. Read more here
Man Singh becomes second Indian to win gold at Asian Marathon Championships
(pc: olympics.com)
Man Singh has made history as the second Indian man to win gold at the Asian Marathon Championships, achieving this feat with a personal best time. At 34 years old, Singh completed the race in 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 19 seconds, improving upon his previous best of 2:16:58 from last year's Mumbai Marathon. In this championship, he outperformed China's Huang Yongzheng and Kyrgyzstan's Tiapkin Ilya, who took silver and bronze respectively. Another notable Indian participant, AP Belliappa, finished sixth. This win is significant for Indian marathon running, following Gopi Thonakal, who was the first Indian man to win this title in 2017. Despite his remarkable performance, Man Singh's time fell short of the Paris Olympics qualifying mark. He had also previously placed eighth in the Hangzhou Asian Games. Read more here.
Chebet, Geay, and Lemma Lead Men’s Elite Field at Boston Marathon 2024
Evans Chebet and Gabriel Geay, who were the first and second-place finishers at last year's Boston Marathon, will compete again in the race on April 15. They will be challenged by Sisay Lemma, who recently won the Valencia Marathon and is one of the fastest marathon runners ever. Chebet, from Kenya, has been very successful in marathons, winning six of his last seven races. He has won the Boston marathon twice already, even successfully tackled the challenge by Kipchoge last year. Lemma, from Ethiopia, is known for his fast time in Valencia and a win at the 2021 London Marathon. The Boston Marathon this year will have many fast runners, including 20 who have finished marathons in under 2 hours and 10 minutes. Read more here.
Two runners lose their life, marathoners returned home without medal
The Mumbai police has taken six individuals into custody in a theft related to the TATA Mumbai Marathon 2024 finishers medals. Mistaking them for actual gold, the accused are believed to have stolen around 2,200 medals that were lying around in tents at the Bombay Gymkhana ground. The police confirmed that the individuals in question were arrested on Sunday, January 22, 2024. Runners from the marathon race who finished the race after 5 hours from the start time were told that their finishers medal will be couriered within 10 working days. The organisers acknowledged the problem and apologised to runners over the social media post.
Two runners lost their lives during the event. The participants were identified as Suvradeep Banerjee (40) from Kolkata and Rajendra Bora (74) from Mumbai. Banerjee, a seasoned full marathoner and software engineer, collapsed near the Haji Ali Junction, while Bora found collapsed on the road near a petrol pump close to Pizza By the Bay opposite Marine Drive. More than 1,800 runners seeked medical assistance during the race, with 22 of them requiring hospitalisation, said the official medical partner, Asian Heart Institute. Read more here and here
TipOfTheWeek - Dealing with Post-marathon blues
Post-marathon blues is a common experience for many runners. After the excitement and adrenaline rush of the race, it's normal to feel a bit down or lost. Here are some tips to help you navigate through this phase:
Rest and Recover: Give your body the time it needs to recover. This doesn't just mean physical rest, but mental rest as well. Avoid jumping straight into another intense training plan.
Stay Active at a Lower Intensity: While rest is important, staying gently active can help keep the blues at bay. Consider activities like walking, yoga, or light strength training.
Connect with Fellow Runners: Sharing your experiences with others who understand what you're going through can be very comforting.
Focus on Nutrition: After a marathon, your body needs nutrients to repair and rebuild. Focus on a balanced diet rich in proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Set New Goals: Once you've had some time to rest, think about what you'd like to achieve next. It doesn't have to be another marathon; it could be trying different race distances, or even exploring other forms of activity.
#RaceCalendar
Next 6 Months:
Jaipur Marathon: February 4, 2024
Indore Marathon: February 4, 2024
Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon: February 25, 2024
Tata Ultra Marathon: February 25, 2024
OotyUltra: March 31, 2024
TCS World 10K: April 28, 2024 (Yet to be published on the website)
Rotary Rain Run: July 28, 2024
Ladakh Marathon: 5th - 8th September, 2024
Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon: October 20, 2024 (Yet to be published on the website)
Search and find races using our Race Finder at geeksonfeet.com/races
#TriviaOfTheWeek - Indians are loving Marathon!
Did you know that the 19th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon, held on January 22, 2024, saw over 8700 runners lacing up for the marathon category? This marked a remarkable 60% increase compared to the participation levels in 2018, highlighting the growing enthusiasm for marathon running in India.
Here are the numbers from Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024
Category / Registrations / Finishers
Marathon /10711 / 8758
HM / 15218 / 12607
10K (Open) / 7130 / 5703
Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar & Aravind Yarra