
My journey of running started in 2010 in Delhi, when I did my first 500 meters jog with the intent of losing weight. The thought was to increase these 500 meters to 7 kms over a few months. Little did I know that 7 years later I would be signing myself up for what seemed to be an unfathomable task then – The Khardung la Challenge, a 72 km run in the mountains of Ladakh! A run that would demand from me every iota of strength, endurance and determination that my body and mind were capable of, only to give me double of it back at the finishing line.
This is how the journey unfolded…
Starting anything is easy, but continuing it is difficult. Two things that kept me going were the thought of challenging my own limits along with an opportunity to spend time with myself. Before I realised, this task became a habit and from a habit it transformed into a ritual.
In 2010 I challenged myself to participate in my first half marathon . It was a fun event which me and my running buddy Harsh completed in around 2hr 30 minutes by jogging, walking and enjoying refreshments on the way. Completing the first half marathon is a great accomplishment. I had cramps for almost a week after the run but it definitely gave me a newfound high in life. This encouraged me to participate more in such events.
The best part about running is that you are competing against yourself. Even after consistent practice runs don’t get easy, but you get better! By 2014, I had done around 4 half marathons and was now itching for a new challenge. Mumbai marathon was the first full marathon which I signed up for in 2014. It was another stimulating experience. I started enjoying new running challenges, be it improving the timing, running longer distances or challenging terrains.
With this new found high in running long distances, I read about the Ladakh marathon which arguably is the most scenic run in the world. This was a new challenge due to the terrain and temperature. I grabbed the opportunity and signed up for the Ladakh marathon in 2016. I couldn’t go for the run as my father passed away a few weeks before the run. Losing someone so close was really difficult to bear, but running almost every day after the day of his death for a few weeks was one of the big factors which helped me get that vacuum of his loss out of my mind and I realised that running had become my passion.
Eventually in September 2017 I went for the Ladakh full marathon along with my buddy Sanjay (who accompanied me on my request). Even though he had no plans to run, on seeing my excitement he also participated in the half marathon. This run was one of the most amazing and challenging experiences of my life for the following three reasons:
- Firstly, it is claimed to be the highest marathon in the world. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) being a foremost concern, one needs to reach Ladakh almost a week before the run for acclimatising to the harsh weather conditions;
- Secondly, the altitude and the steep terrain. One has to brave not only the rugged mountain terrain but also capricious weather conditions such as sub-zero temperatures, sudden snowfall; and
- Thirdly, the Ladakh Marathon was started in 2012 (after the 2010 Ladakh floods ravaged the city) to convey to the world that Ladakh was up and running again and to encourage Ladakhi youth to live a healthy lifestyle by taking up running in hostile weather conditions.
A day before the full marathon, the most challenging event of Ladakh Marathon i.e.the 72 kms Khardung La challenge was taking place and I happened to be in the market where the race ends. There I witnessed what was to be one of the most defining moments of my life. A participant was kissing the floor and crying after completing the 72 km run in almost 14 hours. I was overwhelmed by his expression of joy and AT THAT SAME MOMENT I decided to register for the 72 km Khardung La Challenge 2018 to experience THAT feeling! I couldn’t get over that expression for a few months even after coming back from Ladakh. Infact even today, when I don’t feel like running, I think about that persons’ expressions and get my running shoes on.
I decided, but I needed to prepare…
The tentative date for the Khardung La Challenge run was 7th September, 2018 and I documented a training plan after speaking to a few veteran runners including Shikha Pahwa who stood first in the Girls category in Khardung La Challenge 2017.
The Training…
Delhi, where I stay, is almost 25-30 degrees hotter and 100% more humid than Ladakh. Thus, the plan was to mainly focus on strength and endurance with long runs.
I started by documenting a few disciplines:
- 2 hours of exercise for at least 5 days a week
- 2 long runs on Saturday & Sunday and increasing the same every weekend to take it to a maximum of 50 km on a given day
- One rest day during the week
- Having a good and healthy diet
The easiest part of the above plan was to (plan) document it and the most difficult part was to be consistent in the above discipline.
I started my Saturday run with 21 km with the plan of increasing it by 2 km every week and reaching 50 kms on the weekend before I left for Ladakh, with the Sunday run being 3-5 kms lesser than the Saturday run. The two days consecutive run was to ensure that my legs were ready to endure a single day run of 72 km. The other 4 days were primarily spent to strengthen the core and legs. Any day that I would fall short of the mental or physical strength, I would recall the words I had read somewhere “Each day you must choose, the pain of DISCIPLINE or the pain of REGRET” and that made the decision easier!
Many friends and fellow runners helped me prepare by running alongside. Lokesh a great friend, accompanied me on one of the long runs each weekend and was a constant support. The other long run day started very early in the morning between 3.30 am and 4.30 am and was dedicated to running alone. Running alone has its own charm, you get a glimpse of the beautiful city of Delhi in the morning hours, you get to smile at fellow runners, skaters and bikers, you can close your eyes and run a few meters without the scare of being hit and you can spend time with yourself.
The key to preparation was persistence. On one of the weekends I was turning 40, but I didn’t want to compromise on my run and also on the celebrations, so I started my run at 3 am and was done by 7.30 am, gifting myself a 40 km run on the big day!
The 8 days in Leh
Zanskar river sangam an hour away from Leh. This picture was clicked by my daughter which won her best photography award in her school.
Khardung La Challenge has a lot to do with acclimatisation and so I reached Leh 7 days before the race day. Since, one never knows how many days it would take to acclimatise, it is strongly recommended to go at least 8-10 days in advance.
Leh has a lot of beautiful hikes and treks and the place grows into you. it is so beautiful and scenic that yo start itching to run, but I had no plans of doing any hike/ long run before the KC. I was just focussed on doing two short runs (10-15kms) and relaxing my legs before the big day. My wife and kids joined me in Leh to ensure that I was not too anxious and we did some sight seeing in and around Leh but we mostly spent time in the market.
Though the two short runs were very nice, I caught cough and cold due to those runs or maybe anxiety. This was something I had not anticipated and was not too prepared for. So the next few days, I started taking good care of what I was eating or drinking ensuring that didn’t aggravate it. My commitment to the run was such that I gave up on my two glasses of cold coffee, without which I am almost immobile in Delhi.
By that time, we had tried almost all cafes in and around the Leh market and let me tell you that Leh has some really nice cafés with awesome ambience.
The Orientation

The race coordinators hold an orientation a day before the run where all the runners are present and a discussion is held about the route. Though I knew the race is a serious event, I didn’t know its real seriousness till I attended the orientation along with participants from different walks of life, different nationalities and age group. The two key take-aways were:
- Khardung La Marathon would happen every year, hence, don’t run as if it’s your last run. In simple words, they meant that please don’t take any risk with nature and your life.
- Only 60% of the people will complete the run, so don’t feel disheartened if you are not able to reach the finish line or decide to give up in between.
Though the words of caution were genuine and were really required for all the runners, they increased the anxiety levels and also the excitement to go for the run.
The Day before the Run – Bus Journey to Khardung Village

The Khardung La run begins from the Khardung village, which is 72 kms from the town of Leh. All the runners assembled with their families or the people accompanying them at 8.30 am to board a bus to Khardung village. The excitement was visible on everyone’s face and after a photo session we all stepped into the bus to leave for the run, being mindful that we would see our accompanying family/ friends next at the finish line. The 4 hours journey ensured that all 18 strangers who entered the bus were friends by the time the bus reached Khardung village. I made good friends with Bhaskar (a seasoned ultra-runner and blogger from Pune), Deepesh (an awesome runner from Lucknow who chose running over work when given a choice by his boss), Pankaj (runner and founder of Lucknow Running Association) and Anshul (an awesome athlete who is one of the 12 ultra-men from India and has also done a couple of Iron Men). All of us shared our running journeys and I was in awe of almost all of them as they all were much more seasoned and prepared than I was.

At Khardung, a team of 4 runners was made and we were allotted homes to stay. It was wonderful to see the villagers going out of the way to take care of strangers.)I was reminded of a quote I once read, “How little it takes and how good it feels to extend someone grace”. In addition to the home stay and food, the villagers had organised a beautiful cultural event, wherein the kids danced and sang for us.
The Strategy
In the evening, we all assembled around people who had already run the Khardungla Challenge in the previous years to understand what’s the best strategy. Everyone’s advice was to go slow and steady.
Khardungla Challenge is a 72 km run which is to be completed within 14 hours with 4 timebound milestones . I made a rough table after listening to everyone:

After seeing the above table almost 100 times, gauging my strengths & weaknesses and intent of completing the run within 12 hours, I made a very simple strategy:
In terms of race:
- Brisk walking till K Top and target to reach there within 6 hours
- To avoid speaking during the run and conserve energy for the 12hour challenge. This seemed to be the toughest strategy and I was sure I was going to break it a few times.
- Rest at the K Top from where the descent starts, run at a slow pace till South Pullu and reach South Pullu by 8 hours
- Reach Mendak Mor within 10 hours
- Complete the run within 12 hours on a high
In terms of clothes:
- Wear three layers, a warm inner, a t-shirt on that and a fleece jacket on top and an inner and shorts at the bottom
- To take off the excessive layers at South Pullu
- Fleece gloves and the other equipment’s specified by the race event team to be carried along
- Carry an extra pair of shoes in the spare bus bag
The whole night I tossed and turned while thinking about the above strategy almost every 5 minutes. I was determined to follow it and not deviate from the same.
THE RUN
Phase 1 of the run
Khardung village to North Pullu
The run was to start at 3 am. We assembled at 2 am for breakfast. Though the breakfast was very detailed, I just had a banana and some porridge and was ready to start the run.
The weather looked good and the temperature was around 7-8 degrees. I was wearing 3 layers of uppers and shorts above my base layer below. The race started within 5 minutes of 3 am after a series of selfies by the runners. Initially almost everyone started running, but for me, as I had strategized to start the race with a brisk walk. It was really distracting to see myself in the last few, but I was very determined not to move away from my plan. I did a quick check on my timing after an hour and a half and I was going at a good pace.
At 5 am, I was about to reach North Pullu when it started raining and I wasnot prepared for it. The only option was to carry on and I reached North Pullu around 5.45am well within my target time, the only difference being that I was quite wet. By the time I reached North Pullu the rain had stopped and it had become really cold.
North Pullu to Khardung La Top (K Top)
Though cold and wet, I was comfortable and didn’t feel like taking a break. Volunteers and photographers were all around ushering and encouraging all the runners. After about 30 minutes, it started snowing and the chill became unbearable. Again, the only option was to keep moving and reach K Top.
After almost 2 hours of walking, at 8 am, K Top was visible and I thought that there was just one more turn to reach K Top. Though the turn was just one, the elevation and length of that stretch took almost everything out of me. If I look back, I think it that was the toughest part of the race as we were at the elevation of 5600 meters and the temperature was way below 0 degrees.
Phase 2 – K Top to South Pullu
I finally reached K Top at 8.45 am and the relief of climbing the top was really empowering! The race organisers had arranged boiling garlic soup for everyone. I just gulped the tasty soup and rested for 5 minutes before taking off. The descent is always harder than it looks and a true test of strength. The 14 kms from K Top to South Pullu were cold with bouts of rain at each interval.
South Pullu is the last station where runners can drop off clothes. When I reached there it was really cold and raining pretty heavily so I decided against taking off anything but for my cap and gloves. The only other thing I did was to change my wet shoes and get into my second pair of shoes to avoid the swishing swashing . It was around 11.30am when I started from South Pullu and now was the time to speed up and reach the finish line (still 26 kms away).
Phase 3 – South Pullu to Mendak Mor
Almost 8 and a half hours into the run now was the test of endurance and mental strength. So I decided not to take it easy and reach Mendak Mor by 12.45 pm, and try to wrap up by 2 pm. I was in my zone and started to run at a good pace. It stopped raining after 3 to 4 km and started getting sunny and warm, but I didn’t want to waste any time to take my layers off. By the time I reached Mendak Mor around 12.50 pm, the extra layers had become intolerable, so I took them off and handed them over at the hydration counter.
Phase 4 :Mendak Mor to the Finish Line
My dream was coming to reality and I was just 12 km away from the finish line. With warm temperature and least amount of layering, I was keen on finishing the last 12 on a high. I was feeling good and it was really very scenic. I was about to enter the city of Leh and the excitement and running speed was increasing automatically…
The Adrenaline High!
This marathon is a big event in the city of Leh and they organise a school student to escort each runner towards the finish line. Phinshuk my cute little escort was waiting with a smile and a bottle of water to welcome me. His excitement and positive looks helped me get my rhythm back and I entered the beautiful city of Leh. Almost everyone on the 5 km way was out of their houses /hotels to cheer & clap for us, few of them shouting my name after reading the BIB. The fatigue of 11 hours just vanished and I was feeling a new high and the legs suddenly started moving faster with each cheer I was getting. Euphoria can get you into another state of life, a state in which your mind takes control over your body and keeps moving with excitement.
With standing ovation all around, I entered the market of Leh, reminiscing about the same moment from last year where I had seen the runners ending the race with big smiles and tears of happiness. And now my moment had come, my beautiful journey towards Khardung La Challenge was reaching its destination, my hard work and tenacity over the last few months was coming to a beautiful finish, a finish which couldn’t have been scripted better.

To add to the ecstasy, my daughters and wife were waiting for me in the market and they ran the last few steps with me. I couldn’t have asked for more and it seemed that I went into a meditative state on completing the run. I don’t remember the next one hour which included hugs from everyone around, the medal awarding ceremony, the massage we got and the congratulatory greetings which people around were giving.
I still get goose bumps while writing about the experience. It’s a feeling that cannot be described in words, its like the classical raagas in the song which cannot be written but can only be felt by listening to or experiencing it.
For many more runs!

This experience couldn’t have been possible without the great support of
My family especially Bhavna, Kaavya, Kaira and my mother
My team at work – especially my business partners Nirav and Puneet who allowed me to spend quality time to prepare.
My running buddies – especially Harsh and Sanjay who got me started, Shikha Pahwa for ever encouraging me & being and inspiration, Lokesh Malik who helped me through the training for Khardungla
My friend, trainer and coach – Sumit Sir who amongst other things helped me with strength, speed and flexibility
My friends – who had to bear with my constant no’s for night outs and partying.
My well wishers – for those whose name I have not been able to mention above but have always wished me well for my runs and other endeavours