Preeja Sreedharan sets a new National record in 10,000 mts

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) Railway's Preeja Sreedharan improved on her National Record in the Women's 10000m run with a timing of 34: 11.45 sec in the 46th National Open Athletics Championship here.

Preeja, who beat teammate Preeti L Rao (36:21.65s) and Madhuri Gurnule of LIC (38:08.95sec.), had clocked 34:27.13 sec at the South Asian Federation at Colombo last month.

''My coach feels that I am confident of dipping below 34 minutes but due to today's humid condition I failed short of it but I will break it in the Inter-state at Chennai next month,'' said a jubilant Preeja after the race.

Earlier in the men's 10,000m final, Surender Singh of Services won the race with a season leading timing of 29: 30.48 sec. Soji Mathew Railways came second with a personal best timing of 29:35.48 sec. Another Railway man Santosh Kumar Patel took the third place with 29:39.71 sec.

Surender planned to clock below 29 minutes and Kashinath Aswale provided him necessary pace of 70 sec per round till 6 km but after that his pace started declining without any pacemaker resulting into another wait for sub 29 timing in 10,000m.

UNI HSB PM VC1430