Retired Pune scientist dies of cardiac arrest during half-marathon

Sanjay Kadam, 65, suffered a cardiac arrest after completing around 17 km of the Satara Hill Half Marathon. He later died despite emergency treatment.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Sep 7, 2026 03:12 PM IST

Retired C-DAC scientist Sanjay Kadam who suffered a cardiac arrest while participating in the Satara Hill Half Marathon on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement)

It took nearly an hour for 95-year-old Shanta Kadam, who has been unwell, to fully comprehend that her eldest son, Sanjay Kadam, 65, a former scientist with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing in Pune, had died.

Sanjay Kadam, who had hypertension, had completed at least 17 km of the challenging Satara Hill Half Marathon on Sunday when he suffered a major cardiac arrest.

According to Dr Pratap Gole, a member of the medical board of the Satara Runners Foundation that organises the Satara Hill Half Marathon, an ambulance with a physician and cardiologist was on the spot, and they started treating him immediately after he collapsed.

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“Dr Riyaz Mujawar immediately administered CPR, and he was taken to Pulse Superspeciality Hospital, where a team led by Dr Kaushik Patil immediately began treatment. An angiography showed that the main artery was blocked, and angioplasty was performed,” Dr Gole said.

“The team worked tirelessly to stabilise the patient, and at each level the immediate relatives were informed. However, Sanjay Kadam suffered a major cardiac arrest later in the early afternoon hours,” he added.

‘Running brought him immense joy’

Sanjay Kadam’s cousin Anil Kadam said doctors did everything they could to help him.

“His mother is on ventilator support and was unable to understand what happened initially… We lovingly called him ‘Tanaji’, and his sudden death has left the entire family devastated,” Anil told The Indian Express, adding that the final rites were performed in Pune.

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He said Sanjay had a delightful, gentle, affectionate, and warm-hearted personality. “He had a way of making people feel comfortable and cared for,” Anil said.

Recounting Sanjay’s passion for participating in long-distance runs, his cousin said, “Even at 65, he continued to train. His family often urged him to slow down a little because of his age, but running was his hobby and something that brought him immense joy. He remained active until the end.”

What is the Satara Hill Half Marathon?

It’s a Distance Running event (21.1km/ Half Marathon) held annually since the inaugural edition in 2012.

“The run starts in Satara City, at a height of 650 m above sea level, and climbs upwards towards the Kaas Plateau and returns to the city. So, it’s almost all uphill in the first half and all downhill in the second half,” Dr Sandeep Kate, founder of the event, said.

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This was the 15th edition of the run, and it drew over 8,800 runners.

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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