Ashis Roy
{{short description|Indian long-distance runner}}
{{distinguish|Ashiesh Roy}}
{{update after|2022|08|16}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
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| name = Ashis Roy
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| nickname = The Marathon Man of India
| nationality = Indian
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1932|06|01}}
| birth_place = Shillong, Meghalaya, India
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| education = St. Edmund's College
Assam Medical College
Pune University
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| occupation = Cardiologist
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| website = {{URL|http://www.marathonmanofindia.com/index.html}}
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Wing Commander Ashis Roy, MD FRCS (born 1 June 1932) is a runner, author, and cardiologist best known as the first Indian man to run 100 marathons. As of 2015, he has completed 145 total races, 115 of which are full marathons.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2015/india-abroad/ashis-roy-83-takes-his-marathon-tally-to-145.html|title=Ashis Roy, 83, takes his marathon tally to 145|date=2015-09-21|publisher=The Pioneer|access-date=2021-08-16}}
Biography
Roy was born 1 June 1932 in Shillong, Meghalaya, India, the son of sports player and organizer Sudha Sindhu Roy.{{cite web|url=https://theshillongtimes.com/2013/04/07/marathon-marathoner/|title=Marathon marathoner|date=2013-04-07|newspaper=The Shillong Times|access-date=2021-08-16}} He graduated from the Government Boys' High School in Mawkhar, then attended St. Edmund's College, Assam Medical College (Medical Studies), and Pune University (MD){{cite web|url=https://nenow.in/north-east-news/meet-marathon-man-india.html|last=Sarma|first=Ramala|title=Meet the Marathon Man of India|date=2018-03-30|publisher=Northeast Now|access-date=2021-08-15}} He joined the Indian Air Force in 1957 and served as a Wing Commander until 1978, when he retired after 21 years of service. After leaving the military, he became a consulting physician and cardiologist in Chittaranjan Park, Delhi.{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/125448/at-78-ashish-roy-marathon.html|title=At 78, Ashish Roy is marathon man of India|last=Sinha|first=Anil|date=2011-01-01|publisher=Deccan Herald|access-date=2021-08-16}}
His daughter Amrita sometimes joins him for races in the US, where she lives. He has another daughter who lives in Canada and a son who lives in London.
Running
Roy's first competitive race was a one-mile run in 1949 when he was 16. He did not run a marathon until the Rath Marathon in Delhi in 1985 after he left the Air Force.{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/news/india-s-ashis-roy-78-completes-110th-marathon-news-international-lfqlahicdaf.html|title=India's Ashis Roy, 78, completes 110th marathon|date=2011-05-16|website=sify news|access-date=2021-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218150733/http://www.sify.com/news/india-s-ashis-roy-78-completes-110th-marathon-news-international-lfqlahicdaf.html|archive-date=2013-12-18}}{{cite web|url=http://www.100marathonclub.us/Newsletters/newsletter_22.html|title=WELCOME TO 6 NEW MEMBERS|date=2010-10-20|publisher=100 Marathon Club North America|access-date=2021-08-16}} Some of the races he has run include the World Veterans Games (1987) in Melbourne, Australia, the 100th Boston Marathon (1996) in the US, the Millennium Marathon Burlington (2000) in Canada, the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race (2008) in the US, and the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon (2015) in Chicago, Illinois, USA.{{cite web|url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/ashis-roy-83-takes-his-marathon-tally-to-145/|title=Ashis Roy, 83, takes his marathon tally to 145|date=2015-09-21|publisher=The Sentinel|access-date=2021-08-15}}
On 17 January 2010, he became the first person from India to run 100 marathons and was the first Indian ever to join the 100 Marathon Club, which he did in 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.mykhel.com/more-sports/delhi-man-ashis-roy-81-takes-marathon-tally-to-133-064860.html|title=Delhi man Ashis Roy, 81, takes marathon tally to 133|date=2017-08-24|publisher=myKhel|access-date=2021-08-15}}{{cite web|url=https://assamtribune.com/ashis-roy-completes-102nd-marathon|title=Ashis Roy completes 102nd marathon|date=2010-09-14|publisher=Assam Tribune|access-date=2021-08-16}} In 2013, when he was 81 and had run 115 races, he was listed in the Limca Book of Records as the oldest marathoner in India.{{cite web|url=https://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/98829|title=India's marathon man Ashis Roy completes 90th marathon|date=2009-05-18|publisher=NTI|access-date=2021-08-16}} Roy began running only half marathons after a spinal injury in 2011 left him partially paralyzed.
Publications
- Joy of Running (2009){{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sport-set-up-in-india-needs-to-be-changed-ashis-roy/articleshow/7066695.cms|title=Sport set-up in India needs to be changed: Ashis Roy|date=2010-12-08|work=The Times of India|access-date=2021-08-15}}{{cite web|url=http://www.100marathonclub.us/Newsletters/NL45.pdf|title=100 Marathon Club North America Newsletter #45|date=2015-07-01|publisher=100 Marathon Club North America|access-date=2021-08-16}}
- Wonderful Joys of Running (2014){{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/the-man-who-never-stops-running/article5723365.ece|title=The man who never stops running|last=Tankha|first=Madhur|date=2016-03-18|work=The Hindu|access-date=2021-08-15}}
Full marathons run
| class="wikitable"
|+Roy's full marathons broken down by country{{cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/delhi-man-ashis-roy-81-takes-marathon-tally-to-133-113091600505_1.html|title= Delhi man Ashis Roy, 81, takes marathon tally to 133|newspaper= Business Standard India|date=2013-09-16|publisher=Business Standard|access-date=2021-08-16}} |
| width="10%"| No.
! width="65%" | Country ! width="25%" | Number of Marathons |
|---|
| 1
| India || 40 |
| 2
| United States || 44 |
| 3
| Canada || 12 |
| 4
| United Kingdom || 2 |
| 5
| Greece || 1 |
| 6
| Netherlands || 1 |
| 7
| Poland || 1 |
| 8
| Finland || 1 |
| 9
| Sweden || 1 |
| 10
| Norway || 1 |
| 11
| Japan || 1 |
| 12
| Korea || 1 |
| 13
| Malaysia || 1 |
| 14
| Macau || 1 |
| 15
| Australia || 1 |
| 16
| New Zealand || 1 |
| 17
| Russia || 1 |
| 18
| Germany || 1 |
| 19
| Czechoslovakia || 1 |
| 20
| Austria || 1 |
| 21
| Pakistan || 1 |
| || Total || 115 |
Achievements
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roy, Ashis}}
Category:Indian male marathon runners
Category:Indian male long-distance runners
Category:Indian Air Force officers
Category:Sportspeople from Meghalaya
Category:Indian medical doctors
Category:Indian Air Force personnel
Category:Medical doctors from Delhi
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