Long Run

On October 22, a total of 32 marathon runners started the most gruelling run in the country.

Last Saturday morning, a total of 32 marathon runners started the most gruelling run in the country. The runners, divided into three groups, participated in races of 30 miles (48 km), 50 miles (80 km) and 100 miles (160 km) on the harsh terrain of the Aravalis, 30 km from New Delhi. Going by the length of the run and the extremely humid conditions at the Bhati Lakes of Suraj Kund, it was not until Sunday evening that the last runner was clocked in. Only four of the group completed the 100-mile course that required participants to run 8 loops of a 20 km stretch near the lakes.

The event, dubbed Globeracer, featured participants of ages 23–71 from India and abroad. Seven runners, including model and actor Milind Soman, attempted the 160-km run. Bhupendra Singh Rajput, a 41-year-old marathon enthusiast from Pune, clocked 27 hours and 28 minutes to win the race. He beat his nearest competitor by six hours.