Indian long distance runner Nitender Singh Rawat is determined to produce his best performance at the Delhi Half Marathon

Rawat was the fastest among Indian runners along with fellow Indian Army athlete G. Laxmanan at last year's event. But a technical issue placed Rawat at the overall seventh position ahead of Laxmanan. I have been training hard for the last five to six months for this year's marathon. I am confident of registering a better time than last year and improving my overall standing," Rawat told reporters.  When asked about his rivalry with Laxmanan, Rawat chose to play it cool. "I have forgotten all about last year. I am only thinking about Sunday's race," he said. Thonakal Gopi, who took gold at the Asian Marathon Championships last year, will be another Indian to watch out for this year. Gopi, who was the fastest Indian at the Mumbai Marathon earlier this year, is also confident of a good performance. "My life saw several changes after the 2016 Olympics. Since then I have trained hard and improved my timings. I have learnt a lot since then. I want to win more international medals," he said.    

posted Saturday October 20th