Bimal Mahato breasts the tape at The Telegraph Kolkata Marathon. Picture by Pabitra Das

The marathon man is going places ? from Kharagpur to New York, seven months after a dream run in Calcutta.

On Friday, Bimal Mahato will board a Singapore Airlines flight to New York, where he will be one of the 40,000-odd runners in the New York City Marathon on November 6.

Running distances is nothing new for the Kharagpur-based Railway Protection Force employee, who won The Telegraph Kolkata Marathon on March 13. His timing in the 42.195-km run ? two hours, 23 minutes and 11 seconds ? has earned him a direct entry to the New York marathon, marking a first from this part of the world.

?One of the selection criteria is the time of the applicant in an earlier marathon. Mahato?s turned out to be equal to the 20th participant of last year?s New York Marathon,? said Prochy Mehta, organising secretary of the Calcutta marathon and one of those who helped bring Mahato out of self-imposed exile.

The 36-year-old champion?s triumph had turned to tears after his father Sudhir Chandra Mahato suffered a stroke on hearing of his son?s winning the Calcutta marathon. ?I broke down and decided never to run again,? the reclusive Bimal had told Metro then. Counselling and encouragement helped him fight the guilt and gear up for the Central Park finishing line, where over $500,000 is up for grabs.

?We were moved by Bimal Mahato?s story? We really need to support athletes with so much passion,? offered a spokesperson for Nike India. The sports goods major is sponsoring Mahato?s shoes and apparel for the New York run. Experts from Nike are also advising him about the kind of shoes to wear to improve performance.

Mahato?s 20-day trip ? he will live in a rented apartment in NYC with coach Sudhir Pal ? will cost around Rs 4 lakh. ?We have managed with help from CII members and personal contributions,? said Mehta.

Having worked himself into shape for the big run ? travelling to Calcutta to train regularly ? ?relaxation period? has been prescribed now. ?In the last 20 days before a marathon, an athlete needs to taper down,? explains Mehta. And on D-Day, Mahato just needs to ?go out there and enjoy the run?.