Half marathon, full happiness: How this run in Satara is bringing out best in architects, engineers, amputees, senior citizens

The Pawar family, including Rajaram, Prashant and his wife Sandhya, has been running this iconic route with a total elevation gain of 420 metres for the last five to six years.

Prashant, an engineer, began running in 2016 at the age of 45. “It wasn’t long before my wife joined me. Soon, my father, who retired as a senior clerk from the state-run transport corporation in 2000, expressed his interest in joining. I observed his running style and felt confident that he could complete the marathon,” he recalls, even as Rajaram Pawar says, he is now “looking forward to another podium finish as I turn 80 next year”.

Dr Sandeep Kate, founder and chairman of the Satara Runners Foundation and avid runner and fitness enthusiast, is the driving force behind the iconic JBG Satara Hill Half Marathon 2024 powered by MALA’S held on September 1.

It is uphill in the first half and downhill in the second half and the total elevation gain is over 400 metres in the first half of 10.5 km, making it one of the toughest half marathon events in the country.

“Twelve years ago, by chance, I came across an article about Amit and Neepa Sheth—a couple who started running in their late 30s. Around the same time, I saw a programme on the Mumbai Marathon, and I felt a strong inner urge to start running. I was 37 years old and weighed 85 kg at the time,” recalls Dr Kate, who completed his first half marathon at Corbett National Park in 2012.

The event motivated him to organise a half marathon in his hometown, Satara. His wife, Suchitra, too, followed him on his remarkable journey, and they were joined by friends and others. Soon, the Satara Hill Half Marathon was managed on a volunteer basis, with Dr Kate leading a dedicated and passionate team. Now, at 50, he is amazed at how SHHM has emerged as the collective power of a community to achieve the impossible.

“Over the years, we have seen a huge increase in participants. The run starts in Satara city at a height of 650 metres above sea level and climbs upwards towards Kaas Plateau, the well-known world heritage site, before returning to the city. It is uphill in the first half and downhill in the second half and the total elevation gain is over 400 metres in the first half of 10.5 km, making it one of the toughest half marathon events in the country,” Dr Kate said.

Over 8,000 registrations for the 13th edition, more than 5,000 runners came from across Maharashtra.

While there were over 8,000 registrations for the 13th edition, more than 5,000 runners came from across Maharashtra. “There are at least 2,500 runners from Satara, and this year, we introduced runners in the 75+ category,” Dr Kate added.

Abhishek Bhandari, race director, Satara Hill Half Marathon, says, “We organise 16 Sunday long runs leading to the race, providing them all the route support for all these runs. This year, we created pacing WhatsApp groups, and all the runners were given one-to-one interaction with all our pacers throughout the training, leading to the event in achieving their desired goals. Another challenge is that all our members are professionals in their own fields. We have doctors, lawyers, architects, chartered accountants, teachers, coaches, etc. So all must take time out of their busy schedules to organise this event.”

Medical director Dr Prataprao Gole, a practising physician and a founder member of the organisation, said they had a tie-up with Pratibha Hospital for all medical emergencies. “Our course is tough and challenging for even able-bodied persons, but we have had amputees and blind runners on a few occasions, whom we allot dedicated volunteers to help them run the course safely,” Dr Gole said.