Comoros athlete Selim Abdu Hazi emerged as the champion in the male’s event of Ifad the Cox’s Bazar International Half Marathon while Uyri Lee Quairee of Japan clinched the women’s title at the longest sea beach of the world yesterday. The event was organised by the Big Bangla Run.
Hazi, the lad from third-smallest African nation, took 1 hour and 29 minutes to complete his run of 21.1km to win the champion’s pot of $1,000. Hazi currently stays in Bangladesh and is studying in Islamic University of Technology (IUT).
“I took part in the Big Bangla Run for the first time. I knew I would perform well, but never thought of finishing 1st,” said Hazi after the triumph.
Md Sujan Mia from Netrokona finished 2nd to win $700. Sujan clocked 1 hour and 33 minutes while Md Nasir from Cox’s Bazar took a minute more to bag $500 in the third place.
Meanwhile in the women’s section, Japanese Lee Quairee took 1 hour and 58 minutes to finish 1st followed by Dhaka’s Ratna Mandal Mitu who clocked 2 hour and 14 minutes. Bangladeshi born Australian surgeon Yumna Talikdar made it to the third place in 2 hours and 25 minutes.
A total of 1521 participants around home and abroad took part in the half marathon stretching 21.1km. Apart from the top three finishers, all the participants who completed the distance were acknowledged by a medal.
The run started from Niribili Masjid point in Cox’s Bazar city and ended at Inani beach point.
Actor Ferdous, the brand ambassador of the Big Bangla Run and Abidur Rahman Shimu, the chairman, distributed the prizes among the winners.