This year, Mumbai marathon raises 12.16 crore for charity.

The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon upheld its trend of consistently increasing the funds it raises for charity by raising a total of Rs 12.16 crore in its eighth edition in 2011, for the benefit of 131 NGOs.

This is a clear increase by Rs 3 crore compared with the Rs 9.16 crore raised in 2010.

The figures were announced by non-profit organisation United Way, the charity partner of the marathon, at an awards function for the highest fund-raisers at a city hotel on Monday. Gaurangi Desai, 13, who raised Rs3.63 lakh for Iskcon Food Relief Foundation, emerged as the youngest fund-raiser of the event , while the highest fund-raisers were finance professional Mihir Doshi and author Shobhaa De, who both raised more than Rs25 lakh for Childline India Foundation. De was the highest fund-raiser among women.

“The marathon is an event that makes it possible for students of my age to do something for society,” said Desai, a student of Aditya Birla World Academy, who accepted her trophy with two children beneficiaries of Iskcon Foundation that provides meals to the underprivileged.

According to United Way, 188 NGOs registered to raise funds for themselves, of which 28% of them were first-timers. Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care, a non-profit body working in multiple sectors including health, education and rural development , raised Rs77.26 lakh, the highest amount among NGOs.

“Mumbai has the potential to raise much more money for charity, ” said governor K Sankaranarayanan. State tourism minister Chhagan Bhujbal and state food and civil supplies minister Anil Deshmukh also attended the event. “As long as there is even one hungry child in India, we need to do more,” said De. Actors Milind Soman and Rahul Bose were also present at the event.