Pune ultra-runner to attempt 60 marathons in 60 days

Pune-based ultramarathoner, Ashish Kasodekar, plans to run 60 marathons in 60 days.

He plans to commence his endeavour on November 28, 2021.

The last of these marathons will be on January 26, 2022, coinciding with Republic Day.

The proposed feat has been cast in the form of a 60-day long running event, organised by Run Buddies.

The title sponsor of the event is Traveltime Car Rental Private Ltd.

The event, titled Ultra Dynamo, is being organised at Savitribai Phule Pune University. In 2019, Ashish had been the first Indian to complete the 555 km-category of La Ultra The High in Ladakh.

Alongside the latest challenge Ashish has set for himself, Run Buddies has organised runs of varying distances such as 5 km, 19 km, 21 km and 42 km. Runners wanting to participate can do so by registering for these runs.

“ I wanted to do something for my 50th birthday. My plan was to attempt this in April 2021 but I had to reschedule due to the pandemic and lockdown,’’ Ashish said.

According to him, support for the marathons, across the assigned 60 days, will be provided by the volunteers of Run Buddies. Many runners coming together to run the various distances will contribute to the overall momentum.

“ In such an event, recovery is most important. Good sleep and diet will be key elements,’’ Ashish said.

He is slated to do the Badwater 135 ultra-marathon in July 2022.

Uganda’s Kiplimo sets new half marathon world record

Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda has broken the half marathon world record.

At an event in Lisbon, he covered the distance in 57 minutes and 31 seconds.

Kiplimo, who won the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at Tokyo Olympics earlier this year, broke the half marathon world record set previously by Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie in Valencia in 2020.

The Ugandan runner took one second off Kibiwott’s record.

(The author, Latha Venkatraman, is an independent journalist based in Mumbai.)