Preparing for his next challenge after completing a 270 km "non-stop" run from New Delhi to Chandigarh, India's ultra-marathon runner Arun Bhardwaj said he needs government and corporate support to continue.
Bhardwaj, who has run on all terrains including icy mountains to deserts and coastal areas, said to make ultra-marathon popular in India, it needs a sustained effort at various levels, especially from the government.
The 46-year-old finished his latest run in 49 hours and 34 minutes, which he started on April 23 evening from Central Park, Connaught Place, New Delhi.
He said he only took short naps of about 25 minutes each on three occasions during his run.
Bhardwaj, who has in the past also taken loan and withdrawn money from his General Provident Fund to participate in marathon runs in India and abroad, now considers himself lucky to have got the full support from Garmin Ltd, a leading company in satellite navigation.
Giving details of his latest run, Bhardwaj, who hails from Baoli village in U.P.'s Bhagpat, said despite having escort vehicles and support staff with him, what added to the challenge was traffic.
High pollution levels in Delhi and strange looks from curious onlookers who wondered why the middle-aged man was running in the dead of the night and during peak summer heat of the day were also among the issues he faced.
"Some presumed that I belonged to the Army and was part of some expedition. Yet there were others who thought I may have come from Europe, America or Africa, as they had never heard of any Indian running such distances at a stretch. To some, I gave short reply that there has to be a bit of madness involved in what I am doing," Bhardwaj, who is employed with NITI Aayog in Delhi, told PTI here.
In his daily routine, Arun Bhardwaj runs about 25-30 km distance from his Dwarka residence to his office in New Delhi.
Popularising the sport
"I want to popularise long distance running in India and want more and more people to take it up," he said.
Asked how he took up running, Bhardwaj said it all started 16 years back and his first long distance run was from Haridwar to Bhagpat (U.P.)
I want to extend my contribution towards healthy lifestyle and sensitize people on the need to look after their health and stamina to be able to sustain in the present competitive world that requires a lot of endurance.
The runner, who is a vegetarian and mostly prefers home made food also revealed that even the senior Indian Army personnel and famous runners were taken aback in the past when he told them about his plans to run long distances.
"In 2012, I ran from Kargil (up north in J&K) to Kanyakumari (India's southernmost tip) in 67 days. But before starting, I happened to discuss the plan with two senior Army officers in Kargil, who thought I was mad and could never do this."
After every marathon run like the one which he completed from Delhi to Chandigarh, Bhardwaj takes a few days off from his work to rest before he prepares for his next challenge.
"I want to extend my contribution towards healthy lifestyle and sensitize people on the need to look after their health and stamina to be able to sustain in the present competitive world that requires a lot of endurance," he added.
