A momentous piece of sporting glory achieved last week barely got a mention in newspapers. The Press Trust of India was the first to put out a news report.

Ullas Narayan became the first Indian to win an individual medal at an international ultra running event. The event was the 24-Hour Asia & Oceania Championships at Taipei. Narayan bagged the bronze medal after completing 250 km. The Indians won the bronze medal in the team event too, where the three-member team, comprising Narayan, Sunil Sharma and LL Meena, covered a total of 644 km. For the record, it was the Japanese men, a country known for its passion for long-distance running, which won both the individual and team events. The Indian women too put up a spirited performance, though a podium finish eluded them. Hemlata Saini completed 172 km and Meenal Kotak ran 161 km. A running event that goes beyond the traditional marathon distance of 42.195 km is classified as an ultra marathon. Ultra marathons are of two kinds: one measured by distance such as 50 km, 75 km, 100 km or beyond, and the other in terms of time — 12-hour, 24-hours or beyond. The Taipei event was of the latter category. The Athletics Federation of India joined the International Association of Ultra Runners, the official global body, only last year. According to the PTI report, AFI President Adille Sumariwala, was ecstatic at the Indian ultra runners’ performance. Long distance running, especially ultra running, has caught on in India, though it still largely remains an amateur sport. The indiarunning.com website lists 32 ultra marathon events in India and this list may not be exhaustive. Most major States have an ultra marathon.

Internationally the best-known ultra running event is the Comrades Marathon in South Africa, which is an 89-km run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Every year 25,000 runners, including several from India, participate in this prestigious run. Among the more physically demanding ultra marathons are the 6-day Marathon Des Sables across the Sahara desert in Morocco and the Ultra Trail of Gobi, a 250-mile race across the Gobi desert of China.

The success of Narayan and his team should give a boost to competitive ultra running in the country.

Senior Deputy Editor

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