India's Ashis Roy, 80, runs half marathon in US

Washington, May 28 (IANS) India’s grand old marathon man Ashis Roy, who turns 80 June 1, is running again after a gap of over six months, this time by participating in a half marathon in Alexandria.

Roy, who has run a record 113 marathons, completed the half marathon in Alexandria, a Washington suburb in neighbouring Virginia, Sunday with a timing of 3 hours, 10 minutes and 40 seconds. He was awarded a finisher’s medal and an age group winner medal.

Roy, who was bedridden for over three months after a major backbone surgery in Delhi last November, had run his last full marathon in the US in August last year. His 113 marathon tally includes 44 in the US, 12 in Canada, 38 in India and 19 in other countries.

Known as the “Marathon Man of India”, Roy is only Indian to find mention in “The Messengers”, a book by Malcolm Andersen of Kingston University in Canada, about people who have completed more than 100 marathons.

Roy started running marathons at the age of 52 after retiring as a cardiologist from the Indian Air Force. Starting with his first run in Rath marathon in November 1985 he went on to complete his 100th marathon in January 2010.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])