Runners from all over the country gathered to participate in the 24-hour stadium run at the Mumbai University ground. While some came for the experience, others came to fuel their love for running. Four of them, however, had their sights set on a larger goal — the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) marathon — a gruelling 24-hour run that will be held in October this year in Albi, France.
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Saturday’s 24-hour run, which was the fourth of its kind, organised by Non-stop Entertainment Business (NEB), included two 12-hour relay runs and one 24-hour run. The 12-hour relay events began at 5 a.m., while the 24-hour run began at 6 p.m.
Eyes on the prize
Women need to run 175 km to qualify for the IAU marathon, while men are required to run for 205 kms This year, Lallu Lal Meena and Yamini Kothari from Rajasthan, Odisha’s Pranaya Mohanty and Sikkim’s Shiva Hang Limboo are competing to qualify for the marathon. While Mr. Limboo finished a 12-hour relay on Saturday, the other three participated in the 24-hour run.
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“I get up at 4 a.m everyday and run till 8.a.m before getting ready for work. I’ve participated in many half and full marathons over the years and won International events like Asia and Oceania Championship held in Taipei. I am extremely excited for the run and can’t wait to reach my qualifying limit,” Mr. Meena said.
Talking about her routine, Ms. Kothari said, “Some runners can eat a heavy meal between the runs and manage to clock in some sleep. I can only survive on electrolytes. Every runner follows their own regime.”
Nagaraj Adiga, race director, NEB said that the company has been observing a growing interest in ultra running.
“An increasing number of runners are taking part in stadium runs across the country. The stadium runs also help dedicated ultra-runners train and qualify for international meets,” Mr. Adiga said.
Shibani Gharat, a journalist who participated in the 24-hour stadium run this year, said, “I started running seven years ago. I have crazy work hours. Sometimes due to travelling abroad, you can get jet lagged but with determination and a fixed goal, nothing can stop you.”