Radio jockey and television host Bhargavi is a popular figure among the Telugu audience, and often appears in theatrical productions too. But not many know that she is an avid marathon runner who has participated in several marathons till date. “My goal is to complete the world marathon majors that are held in six cities in the world,” says Bhargavi.
Last year, Bhargavi completed the Berlin Marathon and just last month, she completed the New York Marathon. “There are four more marathons in Tokyo, Boston, Chicago and London. I prepare well in advance for these marathons. There is a 16-week training at various places in the twin cities but I train at the Secunderabad RRC Grounds,” reveals Bhargavi, who elaborates on her training schedule.
“Each day, it’s a different kind of training like long runs, intervals, temp, strength and hill runs. They give a timetable and I follow it to the tee. Apart from running, I also do high-intensity training for body strength, leg strength and to improve my heart rate. Ultimately, when you burn the calories, and your cardio improves, which helps in the marathon,” says Bhargavi, who runs the full marathon of 42.2 km.
Recalling last month’s experience of running in the New York Marathon, Bhargavi says it was very challenging. “It was very cold, the temperature was seven degrees, and I developed some breathing problems because of that. But I still completed the marathon in six hours,” she says proudly, adding that nearly 53,000 people from all over the world participated in it.
“The route was undulating, but the support of the local people energised us. They put up their local bands, beer festivals, sang carols and gave out chocolates, Vaseline, salt and energy drinks. The entire city had come to witness the marathon,” recalls Bhargavi, adding, “After 20 km, it gets very difficult to run because the legs get heavy, but with their motivation, I completed my run. It was an amazing experience!”
Apparently, all the ones who finished the Marathon were given medals and a parade was held the following day. “It was called Medals Monday and people congratulated us as we walked through the city,” she says.
So what’s her inspiration behind running a marathon? “Daily life is so routine, so I set a goal for myself and started running. A friend told me that a special medal is given to those who complete all the world marathon majors. So I have decided to complete all six world majors, one in each year,” she declares.
The RJ says that every person must pick a path to balance their work and life. “I chose running as it gives me peace and has totally changed my life. Emotionally too, it has moved me a lot and given me the strength to face any kind of challenge that comes in life,” says Bhargavi. Coming up next for the RJ is the Mumbai Marathon in January and the Chicago Marathon next October. “I am running only the half-marathon in Mumbai though,” she informs.
As for the expenses involved, Bhargavi reveals that she is self-funded. “I have put aside some amount from my earnings towards these marathons,” she says, adding that for each world marathon, she needs nearly four lakh rupees for travel, stay etc. “Even if a few people get inspired by me and start running, I think I have achieved something in my life. That’s the other reason I am doing this,” she says.
