Altai State University teacher Alexander Agishev ran the Mumbai Marathon
Alexander Agishev, an associate professor of the Department of Physical Education at Altai State University, participated in the Mumbai Marathon, which took place on January 21 in India. He not only ran 42 km, but also became one of the best in his age group – 60-64 years old.
Alexander Agishev is the only participant in the Mumbai Marathon from Altai Krai. The marathon is considered one of the premier marathon events in Asia and is a World Athletics Gold Label road race.
“I had long dreamed to participate in this marathon. Last year I took part in it in absentia: I registered, the organizers sent me a special program for a smartphone, I ran half the distance in Barnaul, timing my results with a clock. This year, I dedicated myself to running in person,” says Alexander Agishev.
In total, more than 58 thousand athletes from all over the world took part in the marathon, with 1,762 participants being in the 60-64 age group. Alexander Agishev came 17th, covering a distance of 42 km and 195 m in 4 hours, 11 minutes and 26 seconds. The 27-degree Celsius heat in Mumbai added to the challenge, as did the asphalt terrain – all runners know how difficult it is.
“I am pleased with my result, I managed to overcome the distance despite the numerous challenges. I tried to distribute my energy evenly throughout the distance, so as not to get sour in the first kilometers and then not have to endure it for a very long time. I succeeded. It worked to our advantage that the race commenced at 5 o’clock in the morning, and we managed to cover the distance before the sun’s rays became too intense. Of course, support played a very important role – despite the early time, there were a lot of spectators and creative groups, this is very important when you run and hear how they support you,” says Alexander Agishev.
This is already the 27th marathon certified by international certificates for Alexander Agishev.