Prize money gap a bit too much at Delhi Half Marathon: Avinash Sable
The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday will have a strong field of Indian and international runners who will chase success on an altered course from the past. Uganda's Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist Jacob Kiplimo is a last-minute withdrawal while Indian distance ace Avinash Sable returns to a race where he set the national best.
Sable clocked 60 minutes, 30 seconds in 2020—first Indian to run under 61 minutes—to finish 10th overall though the event this time comes at the end of a season where he won 3000m steeplechase silver at the Commonwealth Games.
“I’ve not prepared specifically for this race as 3000m steeplechase remains my main focus, but I'll try to run closer to 61 minutes,” he said.
Sable though criticised the gap in prize money between elite international runners and winners in the Indian category. “The gap is a bit too much. An international runner finishing third will still get more than thrice the prize money of an Indian winner. How is that fair?” he asked.
The event has an overall purse of $268,000 (approx. ₹2.14 crore). The international elite winner will get $27,000 (approx ₹22.25 lakh) while Indian winners (men and women) collect ₹3,50,000. The second and third-placed elite foreign runners will get $20,000 (approx. ₹16.48 lakh) and $13,000 (approx. ₹10.71 lakh) respectively, while their Indian counterparts get ₹2,75,000 and ₹1,75,000. The top elite runners though invariably clock faster timings as Sable’s 2020 finish shows.
Sable said: “I think if you really want to motivate athletes to give their best, this gap must be reduced. I know I can win the Indian leg by running 62 or 63 minutes. Why would an athlete push himself?”
Srinu Bugatha, who came second the last time and will run on Sunday, endorsed Sable. “It’s a fair point. I don't want to say much about it, but the gap is quite wide. Even at the Mumbai Marathon where a top Indian finisher gets ₹5 lakh, the elite overseas winner gets much more.”
The top three internationals at Mumbai Marathon earn $45,000, $25,000, and $17,000 respectively. Indian runners finishing second and third get ₹4 and ₹3 lakh respectively.
“I understand the foreigners record much better timings and should be paid more, but if the prize money for Indian athletes can be increased, it'll help us afford better shoes and technology,” Bugatha added.
Procam International, which organises the Delhi and Mumbai races besides runs in Bengaluru and Kolkata, defended its allocation. “We have classified Indian and international elite runners separately for a reason. If we club them, hardly any Indian runner will finish inside the top three. Our idea is to motivate Indian runners to participate and make sure the top three finishers get decent prize money,” an official spokesperson said.
“Our prize money for Indian athletes is always among the highest in the country… As for the higher prize money to foreigners, the timings they are logging needs to be considered,” the spokesperson said.
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