Athletes representing Central Province emerged victorious in both the men’s and women’s marathon events at the 49th National Sports Festival. The marathon races were held this morning, starting near the Hikkaduwa Stadium, with participation from all nine provinces.
The marathon course spanned a distance of 45 kilometers. In the women’s race, W.M. Herath of Central Province claimed first place with a finishing time of 2 hours, 53 minutes, and 42 seconds. Her teammate, C.S. Herath, secured second place, while Uva Province’s Nimesha Nidarshani took third.
In the men’s marathon, Central Province’s K. Shanmugeshwaran clinched the title with an impressive time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 43 seconds. A.C. Chandana of Uva Province finished second, and T.W. Ratnapala of Eastern Province placed third.
The outstanding performance by Central Province highlighted their dominance in long-distance running at this year’s National Games.
