The Ispat Marathon held annually in Alibag, a sleepy town that neighbours Ispat's Dolvi plant, is a district-wide programme organised by the company in cooperation with the Alibag District Sports Office.

Put on track with a view to nurturing an interest in sport among the youth, this event is one of the most eagerly awaited competitions in the area, with participants from all over the district joining the locals in an all-out race against time.

Bearing a tagline that proudly hails the 'Nerves of Steel' of its participants, the Ispat Marathon 2008 puts the sheer talent and stamina of its 7000-odd runners through a gruelling test.

The marathon comprises two events - a Cycle Marathon separated into two races, wherein men are required to cover a distance of 30 km and women a distance of 20 km. The second event is the Mini Marathon, which has five categories of races for men, women and children. The most testing category here is the men's race, which, at 21 km, is half the distance of the Olympian standard.

The marathon proves to be a big draw for aspiring sportspersons, particularly the underprivileged, for whom it acts as a platform to showcase untapped potential. Moreover, the competition works to bring together the young and old, women and children, budding talent and those who just want to be a part of the fun. Most participants, of course, steel their resolve and competitively gun for the winner's haul that includes a generous sum of prize money, a tracksuit and a sports kit for the top five runners in each category.

To boost the aspiring runners, celebrity chief guests are invited to officiate at the event. This year, the Ispat Marathon was held on February 3, and the presence of Marathi film and TV artistes including Atul Parchure, Sunil Barve, Shilpa Tulaskar and Pramod Pawar added spice to the event.

IIL's contribution to the event is the prize money, publicity and promotion of the marathon. The races are handled by the officials of the district sports office.

Details of the Event

Mini Marathon:
(i) Men - Open Category: 21 km
(ii) Women - Open Category: 5 km
(iii) Men - Adults (above 45 years): 5 km
(iv) Boys - (under 20 years): 10 km
(v) Girls - (under 15 years): 5 km

Cycle Marathon:
(i) Men - Open Category: 30 km
(ii) Women - Open Category: 20 km

Prizes
Each category has three winners who are given cash awards, in addition to a tracksuit and kitbag each:

Event	First Prize	Second Prize	Third Prize	Fourth Prize	Fifth Prize
Men Open Category 21 km	Rs 21,000	Rs 11,000	Rs 7,000	Rs 3,000	Rs 2,000
Women Open Category 5 km	Rs 7,000	Rs 5,000	Rs 3,000	Rs 2,000	Rs 1,000
Men (Above 45 years)	Rs 7,000	Rs 5,000	Rs 3,000	Rs 2,000	Rs 1,000
Boys (Under 20 years) 10 km	Rs 7,000	Rs 5,000	Rs 3,000	Rs 2,000	Rs 1,000
Girls (Under 15 years) 5 km	Rs 7,000	Rs 5,000	Rs 3,000	Rs 2,000	Rs 1,000
Cycle: Men Open Category 30 km	Rs 11,000	Rs 9,000	Rs 7,000	Rs 5,000	Rs 2,000
Cycle: Women Open Category 20 km	Rs 10,000	Rs 7,000	Rs 5,000	Rs 2,000	Rs 1,000

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