From asphalt to woodland, what it’s like to be a distance runner in Bengaluru

He added, “There are people who meditate, for me it’s running. It is that morning routine that I like… I feel good on a day when I have run as opposed to one that I haven’t. It feels good, like a sense of having done something productive. I guess it’s also meeting regulars along the way, whether it is people or animals – the connection that you have with the locality to run in.”

Chidambi’s general routine involves running a couple of rounds around the Ulsoor Lake – although on one occasion he repeated these rounds until he had run a full 42 kilometres around the lake (the same distance as a standard marathon) and back home to Cooke Town. In terms of traffic on the way potentially affecting a running routine, he said, “It is bad, but you get into a zone where you get used to it… I do longer runs in Cubbon Park also now.”

Edge of wilderness

The next step for a distance runner is to venture into ultramarathons. These test endurance on a different level entirely – Chidambi was unable to finish the first one he participated in. Now, the longest distance he has run is 110 kilometers – the Malnad Ultra ‘trail run’. Chidambi had helped map out the route for this trail that passes through the Western Ghats of Karnataka.

Regarding these long ‘trail’ runs, which often happen on the edge of the wilderness, Chidambi said, “You are running alone a lot of the time as opposed to city races. It is a little tougher mentally to run when there is no one else that you can see to run with… road races are also much faster. On a trail, you have to accept that it is going to be a slower race. Different muscles get used, you have to watch where you step…”

According to Anand Adkoli, Director, Malnad Ultra, the race sees around 1,200 participants a year. He said, “Trail ultramarathons are definitely growing in India; there are around 17 or 20 now. Ten years back, we were one of the first.”

The process of reconnaissance for a running trail has to be done on foot. Adkoli said, “You have to look for various trails that connect with each other to give you the distance you want – you also need to ensure you get permission if you are going through private or government property such as a reserve forest.”

He added, “A regular marathon and a long trail run are completely different sports… the way you train for speed is very different from the way you train for endurance. Nutrition is a big part of endurance events. You have to learn to eat so that you can sustain activity on a trail run over 18-20 hours. For most people, you have to get used to eating solid food while moving.”

Asked who, on average, gets into running long distances as a passion, Chidambi said, “I find that with faster runners the field is very deep between the ages 35 and 55… It varies from race to race. In road races, you have this group, but in trail races, a lot of younger people are running.”

According to Adkoli, apart from newcomers, many long-distance trail runners are those transitioning from other sports themselves, such as triathletes or cyclists.

Chidambi has also been thinking of doing races further north. Pune is becoming an emerging hub for trail running, for instance. Later in the year, the Malnad Ultra is coming up again. No matter where people choose to test themselves and how they choose to run, Karnataka seems to be a good place for runners to begin.