Thaindian News

Washington, May 16 (IANS) India’s grand old marathon man Ashis Roy reached yet another milestone of his passion as he completed his 110th marathon in Delaware marathon on a cool and cloudy Sunday.

“The weather was perfect for running,” Roy, at 78, the second oldest participant in a field of 272, told IANS on phone after clipping four minutes from his last run in the Potomac River Run Marathon with a timing of 6 hours 47minutes and 16 seconds.

As he ran along the picturesque Wilmington Riverfront through beautiful Brandywine Park, along Kentmere and Bancroft Parkways, and Little Italy sections of Wilmington many a youth cheered Roy saying, “You are our inspiration.”

Roy, a resident of New Delhi, who began running marathons at the age of 52 when he retired as a cardiologist with the Indian Air Force, has set another goal for himself - to become the first Indian to run in a marathon after he turns 80 in June next year.

The veteran Indian runner, who completed his 100th marathon in Mumbai Jan 17, would not even contemplate about hanging his boots until then. Roy’s next run would be in the inaugural Carmel Marathon Championship in Indiana June 11, his fourth marathon in the US this year.

Roy, who has penned a book on “Joy of Running” is listed in the Limca Book of Records, and has, to date, competed in 38 marathons in India and 72 marathons in 20 other countries, including the International Veterans Marathon in Athens in 1986.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)