Kenyan and chaos reign supreme on streets

[nitinjamdar]

Unfortunately today's media reports confirmed what we saw at Pune
yesterday.The organizers were more keen in organizing 'Tamashas" and
flaunting starlets.Marathons are increasingly becoming social and
political occasions than athletic events.Instead of star runners,film
stars are given more importance.A very sorry state of affairs indeed.

Nitin Jamdar

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Kenyan and chaos reign supreme on streets
Indian Express Dec 08, 2008

Pune : Pune int’l marathon : Without markers, winners run 2 km extra,
others run short and disqualified



Kenya’s Nelson Kirwa Rotich on Sunday won the Pune International
Marathon but his victory was marred by chaos and controversy.

Fifteen participants were disqualified for straying from the route and
later alleged that the route wasn’t properly marked. The top ten
athletes, on the other hand, covered 2 km extra after taking a wrong
turn but were not disqualified.

Nelson’s compatriot Caroline Cheptonui Kilel won the women’s half-
marathon while Bhairavsingh Lone and Kavita Raut topped the men’s and
women’s sections among men and women on

The 15 disqualified, mostly East Africans, faltered in Pune University
area. As per the route map, they were to take a U-turn before the
university main gate, go through IUCAA to Spicer College and then to
Bremen Chowk before reaching Chaturshringi.

They instead went through the university gate directly to
Chatuhshrungi. Some participants said markers or pilots were nowhere
to be seen. “There wasn’t anyone at the gate to tell us we were taking
the wrong route. Normally we are given a chip to give us an indication
of landmarks, but not here,” said Hillary Johnathan Kericho of Kenya.

Even pilots said they had no idea of the route.

Kenyan Paul Kibet Simbolei is thinking of registering a complaint.

Baptist D’Souza, the competition director, blamed the athletes. “We
explained the routes thoroughly yesterday. We had NCC cadets at
strategic locations and pilots to guide runners but the participants
took the wrong route and arrived before the timing van could get
there,” he said.

In any other marathon, after the 21-km mark, each frontrunner has a
pilot. Here there seemed to be a shortage of pilots. The top ten
runners travelled 2 km extra. Instead of running through Patrakar
Bhavan, they went through Khandoji Baba Chowk and Shastri Road to
finish at Nehru Stadium.

Organising secretary Pralhad Sawant did not explain why they were not
disqualified. He was not on the route, he pointed out. D’Souza cited
the same ground.

Most athletes had complaints about the traffic too. Many had to wait
and wate minutes before police could clear jams. A car nearly hit a
Kenyan athlete, forcing him to give up the race midway.
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