Pune entrepreneur sets world record for most consecutive days to run full marathon

🔴 Ashish Kasodekar’s name will be enlisted in the forthcoming Guinness book of records in the ultra-dynamo category. He will replace Italy’s Enzo Capororaso in the listings.

Ashish Kasodekar (File)

Long distance running and cycling enthusiast and travel entrepreneur from Pune Ashish Kasodekar set a new Guinness world record of most consecutive days to run a full marathon. Kasodekar ran his 60th consecutive full marathon in as many days completing his feat Wednesday. He began his attempt on November 28, 2021 and scheduled it aptly to end on January 26, 2022.

Kasodekar’s name will be enlisted in the forthcoming Guinness book of records in the ultra-dynamo category. He will replace Italy’s Enzo Capororaso in the listings. The Italian had set the record in 2019 when he ran daily full marathons from September 14 to November 11.

“Pune has been kind to me,” Kasodekar told The Indian Express. Vice Chancellor of Pune University Nitin Karmalkar and veteran athlete Shiny Abraham were present on the occasion.

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Kasodekar thanked everyone who ran alongside him saying their enthusiasm gave him the much-needed energy to go for the record.

“We followed the Covid protocol all throughout the 60 days. This was something very impressive and I am very much indebted to them. During these days, the weather too was very inclement. It rained sometimes and days became colder and colder as we approached winter,” Kasodekar said.

“Frequently changing weather also taught me how to make quick decisions in difficult situations,” he added.

Kasodekar’s feats so far

Climbing Mount Everest in the first attempt in 32.5 hours.

Became only second Indian to complete the 117-km trail run in Brazil in 44 hours.

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First and only Indian to complete la ultra-Marathon in Ladakh of 555 km in 126 hours and 18 minutes.

Completed Khardungla challenge of 74 km in 23 hours and 50 minutes.

Walked non-stop from Pune to Panchgani for 23 hours.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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