Scaling new heights

Six 40-something runners from Hyderabad have participated in and completed the 72-km Khardung La Challenge, one of the toughest ultra-marathons in the world. We sit down for a chat with the marathoners — Vishwanath Jogini, Arun Kumar Kaliappan, Santosh, Harshad Bhutada, Srinivas Munipalle and Subham Mishra.

Talking about what made them take up the challenge, Vishwanath says that they were looking for something that would force them to push themselves. “We were told that it would be a tough race given the extreme conditions. And since we had never run such a marathon, we wanted to challenge ourselves both mentally and physically, to see where we stood. We also wanted to experience the uninterrupted scenic beauty along the 72-km route.”

Once they had their sights set on their goal, the runners started preparing for what they knew would be an intense task nearly six months ago. “Apart from regular runs and workouts, we practised climbing elevations on the road near the movie towers at Kokapet. Also, we ran on the Srisailam stretch of road,” Vishwanath adds.

While the rules of the challenge require you to complete the run in under 14 hours, this team was able to get to the finish line within 13 hours and 15 minutes. “It was a unique experience. We started the marathon at 3 am, and two hours in, it started raining. Later, we even witnessed snowfall, and it eventually turned into a blizzard. Given the climatic conditions, low oxygen levels and the terrain, it was a tough feat, but our extensive training helped us complete it,” says Arun Kumar Kaliappan.

But however much you train, nothing can prepare you for the combination of -10 degrees Celsius temperatures, an altitude of over 5,000 metres, and rocky roads.

“I suffer from asthma, and I did not know how my body would react to such high altitudes. Many runners suffered from motion sickness, a lack of oxygen, and headaches. But luckily, I was alright,” says Santhosh, adding, “Since we’ve all been born and brought up in the south, we’ve never experienced such high altitudes. The route was extremely treacherous, especially when coming down the hill. A small fumble or misstep, and we could have fallen off the mountain, into the valley.”

Ultimately, what helped them achieve their goal was not their physical training alone, but also their strategy. “We divided ourselves into two teams of three people each, and we kept chatting while running. We did not race among ourselves; we ran one behind the other. At times, we slowed down to a speed walk to conserve energy and oxygen. Although we weren’t sweating, we made sure we drank five litres of water every 5 km to stay hydrated,” Santhosh explains.

Having completed the challenge, the runners are convinced that they can do anything that they set their minds to.