Indian long-distance runner Kavita Raut has qualified for the Rio Olympics in women’s marathon after winning the event in the 12th South Asian Games, a perfect end to the country’s memorable athletics campaign in the event. The 30-year-old Raut easily clinched the marathon gold in 2 hours 38 minutes and 38 seconds to become the fourth Indian women to have qualified for Rio Games women’s marathon. The Rio Games women’s marathon qualification standard stands at 2:42:00.

OP Jaisha, Lalita Babbar and Sudha Singh have already qualfied for women’s marathon in Rio Olympics. Sri Lankans NG Rajasekara (2:50:47.00) and B Anuradhi (2:52:15.00) took the silver and bronze respectively. Nashik girl Raut is the lone athlete to have qualified for the Olympics from the 12th SAG.

Another Rio Olympics-bound Nitender Singh Rawat took the men’s marathon gold in 2:15:18 seconds in a close finish in a star-studded field. He won the race by being merely a second ahead of Indrajith Cooray of Sri Lanka who has also qualified for Rio Games.