8 athletes did not finish the race as the heat and humidity hit the National Athletic Federation competition hard

Shivaji Parashuram is receiving treatment after collapsing at the end of Friday’s 10,000m race RANCHI: In the men’s 10,000m, Uttarakhand’s Deepak Bhatt clocked 29:42.93 to claim the top spot on the opening day of the National Senior Athletics Federation at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Morabadi here on Friday.Bhatt, who not only won his first national medal but also registered a personal best, surged ahead in the final lap to overtake Karnataka’s Shivaji Parashuram, who suffered severe dehydration and collapsed at the finish line. He was in such bad shape that he had to be carried off the track and took a long time to recover. Although he finished second, Parashuram was later disqualified under World Athletics Technical Rule 17.2.4 for exceeding track limits.He wasn’t the only one battling the heat and humidity despite the 6:25 a.m. start time. In the end, up to eight athletes did not finish the race.But India head coach Radhakrishnan Nair did not want to blame the weather. “It was definitely humid, no doubt about that. But most athletes are trained to compete in such conditions. Even now, wherever you look, the temperatures are hot in different places, so it’s not your fault. However, those who are not properly trained to run in these conditions can struggle and can get dehydrated,” said Nair.Kartik Karkera, the orthopedic surgeon who made headlines by winning back-to-back marathons and qualifying for the Asian Games, also struggled during the race. He was on the bike at one stage and finished in 32:03.14.After Parashuram’s disqualification, Karnataka’s Shailesh Kushwaha finished second in 29:57.56 while UP’s Prashant Choudhary finished third in 30:36.97.Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Ravina Gayakwad took the women’s 10,000m title with a time of 35:30.98. Uttarakhand’s Soniya was second in 36:16.22 while Maharashtra’s Aarti Pawara finished third in 36:24.79.