Jadhav leaves dope taint behind her with title on marathon debut

MUMBAI: Sanjivani Jadhav was not just running her first Mumbai Marathon, as was the case with her male compatriot Kartik Karkera. For Jadhav, who specialises in the 5000m and 10000m, this was her first marathon ever!

And a triumphant debut it turned out to be, as the 29-year-old from Nashik was the fastest Indian woman to finish the 42k run, sealing her win in 2:49:02, to deny Nirmaben Thakor a hat-trick of titles in the Indian elite women’s category.



Thakor (2:49:13) had to be content with finishing runner-up this time, while Sonam (2:49:24) completed the podium in a fairly close contest which saw Jadhav make a decisive break away from Thakor with just 300 metres left in the race.

It was a moment to cherish for Jadhav, a taluka sports officer, who had to overcome the taint of a two-year doping ban a few years ago.

Even as Thakor tried hard to push her, Jadhav felt she had the race wrapped up after negotiating the daunting Pedder Road hill. "I had this strong feeling that I will win. After 35 km, I knew I was going to win gold,” said Jadhav who saw all her results annulled after June 29, 2018 as part of the retrospective suspension she was handed in 2019 after testing positive for masking agent Probenecid.

A 5000m bronze medallist at the 2017 Asian Championships, Jadhav said Sunday’s success would have no bearing on her objective for the Asian Games, where she will be seeking qualification in the 5000m and 10000m events.


Get the latest WPL 2026 updates including WPL teams, full WPL 2026 schedule, and live scores for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants, and Delhi Capitals. Also check the latest WPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.