These 5 Indian Marathoners Will Motivate You For Your Next Half-Marathon

Believe it or not, if they managed to pull it off, you can too!

Finding a role model can motivate you to achieve your goals. For example, suppose you have ever dreamed of running a marathon. In that case, chances are you will benefit from hearing about other people's training and race strategies.

5 Great Indian Marathoners

Marathons and half-marathons give you a new perspective and improve your life. You can participate in marathons to support a cause or yourself. The Pankh MP Half Marathon is a program designed to help young athletes in MP under 19 reach their full potential. Registering for the half marathon will allow you to test your limits and discover new aspects of yourself while completing the course.

Let us talk about the great Indian marathoners and what you can learn from their experiences.

1. Lalita Babar

Because she grew up in a small, religiously conservative town in Maharashtra, Lalita Babar never gave much thought to striking out on her own or following her passions. Consequently, most girls in her village would get married before they turned 18. But Lalita was focused on one thing and was fortunate enough to have her parents cheer her on as she worked toward her goal.

This athlete from Satara's Mohi Village made waves in 2005 at the Under-20 National Championship in Pune. Her personal bests were achieved at the 2015 Boston Marathon. In total, she took 2 hours and 38 seconds. Her bronze medal performance in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2014 Asian Games in Korea is one of her few accomplishments.

The journey was difficult. The process needed help from start to finish. But if you let your heart set its sights on something, you will never be able to let go of it.

2. Milind Soman

His love of running and trees can be gleaned from his tweets, suggesting he is interested in the great outdoors. Yes, he is regularly spotted by Mumbai residents on Marine Drive, where he goes for runs. In 2012, as part of Greenathon, he ran 1,500 kilometres in 30 days, setting a new Limca Record in the process. He is done stints as an actor and a director in addition to his modelling career. He also organised the Pinkathon series of races, which inspired one million Indian women to take up running. Those interested in making running a regular part of their lives will greatly benefit from hearing the perspective of a runner with extensive experience.

3. Ashish Roy

Ashish Roy, who is just a little behind Fauja Singh in marathon times, is another man who has kept age from slowing him down. This was Ashish Roy's 138th full marathon and 23rd half marathon, both of which he ran at the Washington Navy Air Force Half Marathon. Participants ran a total of 13.1 miles in the race. Despite being the oldest competitor by a wide margin, Roy finished the full race distance in a time close to 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 40 seconds despite being 82 years old. When Roy, at age 52, decided to follow his dream of running marathons, he wanted to show the world that it's always possible to follow your passion. He had run in an astonishing 82 races by the time he turned 75.

4. Major DP Singh

Major D. P. Singh's life seemed to stop when a shell exploded nearby during the Kargil conflict and severed his right leg. He faced the difficulties in life head-on and, like the mythical phoenix, triumphed over them to become India's top blade marathoner. Ten long, painful years were needed for Singh to fully recover from his injury. But he did not give up hope entirely. After his amputated leg was fitted with a prosthetic blade, he wasted no time. He started training for and competing in marathons. Since then, this passionate man has run in every Delhi Half Marathon, always finishing in under two hours and forty minutes. For him, there was no going back after that; he has not even bothered to look at his old life.

5. Sudha Singh

Even after Lalita Babar broke the national record in the 3000m steeplechase, Sudha Singh was still India's undisputed queen of long-distance running. After holding the record for so long, Lalita Babar finally managed to top her achievement. Even though Singh no longer holds the national record in her event, she is still regarded as one of the best female athletes in the country. A few of her many notable accomplishments include: representing India in the 3000 m steeplechase event at the 2012 Olympics in London; winning a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China; winning a silver medal at the 2009 and 2011 Asian Championships; and winning a gold medal at the 2009 Asian Games.

The Bottom Line

Once you make up your mind to do something, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. All that is required to succeed is a strong drive motivated by enthusiasm for the task. All the runners mentioned above worked hard to get where they are today; if you put in the effort, you, too, can succeed.