David Rudisha Inspires Indian Marathoners To Qualify For Asian Games

Kenya's legendary world 800m record holder and double Olympic champion David Rudisha has come to New Delhi to inspire a host of Indian marathon and long distance runners. The simplicity of the genius Rudisha is awe-inspiring. Speaking at the pre-marathon press conference, Kenya's legendary middle-distance runner pointed out that this was the last opportunity and platform for India's top marathoners to win their berths for the Hangzhou Games in September. "The weather is perfect. I believe the flat course is also ideal for a marathon. So, remain confident, don't lose sight of your targets, and give it your all," he said. "The marathon is a very special race, the oldest sport in the world," he said, admiring the sport that requires extreme resilience and endurance. "I can imagine how tough running 42 kilometre is. My event lasts just 1 minute and 40 seconds," Rudisha, who is the only athlete to ever run the 800m in 1 minute and 41 seconds, added, amidst thunderous applause.

The Apollo Tyres New Delhi National Marathon on Sunday is a huge opportunity for Indian marathon runners to qualify for the coming Hangzhou Asian Games. However, it is highly unlikely that many athletes would meet the qualifying standards, as the  mark appears to be better than the best of most of the athletes. The qualifying time for men's in the Asian Games is 2:15:00, while the time for women is 2:40:00. World 800m record holder and double Olympic champion David Rudisha urged India's top athletes to go all out in the Apollo Tyres New Delhi National Marathon on Sunday (February 26) and qualify for the Asian Games later this year.

As many as 16,000 runners will be competing in the New Delhi Marathon, organised by NEB Sports under the aegis of the