The Incredible “Everyday Elite” runners of India

Series: The Incredible “Everyday Elite” runners of India.
Madan Godara

Everyday Elite: Madan Godara is running to inspire as many to make it their lifestyle!

It is always a privilege to be able to bring the legendary voices from across India and their inspirational tales of grit and determination. In this series, we connected with some iconic runners from across the country. They generously took out time to share with us their inspirational tales of courage and achievement.

We kick off the series with the one and only Madan Godara aka Haryana Roadways. He headlines many marathon events as brand Ambassador and “Mentor de fitness”. Fondly known as respected Godara Sahab or Madan Sir, he is much loved by the young brigade of runners who have had the good fortune of being groomed by him over the years.

What makes Madan Godara’s story special is not just the myriad accolades and podiums that have come his way, but the man himself. A retired army man turned entrepreneur discovered running by chance when at his place of business an overweight colleague proudly showed him his new shiny marathon medal. It piqued his interest and he asked himself the question ”Why not me ?” What followed was something astonishing and unthinkable.He attempted his first 10km at the next marathon event in his city and finished it in record time of 48 minutes. With this run he clearly made a record of sorts and soon became a force to reckon within the Indian running scene. Ever since there has been no looking back for this running icon. With his no excuses attitude, he proves his mettle year after year.

Now he says that running is synonymous with living life itself and his daily mandatory minimum 5km run is like “manna from heaven”. You can catchup with him at various national events where he would be busy winning podiums with his running group, Dwarka Xpress runners or you would find him at 4:30am on the running track mentoring young group of local runners. With official 100 half marathons under his belt, 15 full marathons, 100km night runs and various podiums this 57 years old Ultra runner has many unbeatable records to his name.

He recounts, however, that it is only when he took on the unbelievable XXX trail run in 2018, did he come face to face with his biggest running challenge yet. Three days of incessant running in the urban forest called the Aravali Bio Diversity Park in Delhi involving back to back long runs daily was not just challenging physically but also a tough mind game. Conquering this run, which was a  mix of soft and hardsurface with gradient steep stretches, was by far the most gut-wrenching but surprisingly satisfying running experience for him. Over the course of the next 3 days he relentlessly smashed his daily goals and in his own characteristic style  and came out a jubilant overall winner of this event.

He believes that everyone should adopt running as a lifestyle to keep fit and alert throughout the day. He knows that while all might not be able attempt a 10km on their first run but they should at least start running slowly and gradually increase mileage with correct running form with some consistency. His suggestion to any novice runner is not to go for speed and pace initially and focus on gaining muscle strength to remain injury free as an athlete.

He is avidly looking forward to the race season in the year 2023 and is a huge advocator of discipline and setting morning routines. He is currently training to try and best his time at the New Delhi Marathon 2023. With this next milestone he would be closer to his dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

If you are ever in New Delhi you can be sure to catch him at the starting line of plenty of other races in the future.
You can also follow him on his inspirational Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/madan.godara.169

While a New year offers possibility of 365 days stretching out in front of us , the end of the year especially the November month offers as much opportunity to fall into good habits. Hope these nuggets of inspiration coming to you in the month of November from our “Everyday Elite” series inspire you to finish the year on a high and achieve all your fitness goals.

Series: The Incredible “Everyday Elite” runners of India
Monika Kadian

Everyday elites train for many years and embrace disciplined routines and habits to take control of their health and achieve their fitness goals. Our everyday elites are accomplishing amazing things despite challenges like pandemic and physical limitations. There is something unique about each runners story but the universal pride that comes from crossing the finish line is one common factors in most of their stories.

“Everyday Elite” Monika Kadian, made her mark as a ultramarathoner by fighting illness and injury”

Our running icon for this series Monika’s story is one of extreme grit and determination. Mother of two and an iconic long distance runner with one of the most popular running groups in New Delhi, she is nothing short of a powerhouse of resilience. In a span of just a few years she went from barely managing running a few rounds of her local park to tackling ultramarathons across the nation. Any race less that distance seems too short for her now.

She runs with the spectacular family-oriented running group in Dwarka where she has been groomed to take on long distance running as lifestyle. She had struggled a lot with severe depression and now believes that running is her life saver. Running has not only help her shed a significant amount of weight but also helped her gain a positive outlook on life. She has managed to remain lean and fit with consistent running and no longer requires medicines to cope with the myriad issues that affected her health prior to her running journey. She singlehandedly with her dedication and hard work, has worked towards achieving her goals to stay fit . It is Monika 2.0 all the way.

With her unstoppable spirit she powered on to come on top of the 100 days of running challenge 2020 (HDOR) womens’ category, DXR. She won by covering an impressive distance of a whopping 2100kms in 100 days and it would be safe to say that with this feat she pretty much blew away her competition. By running an average of 21kms daily she proved that if she puts her mind to it she can achieve anything. She remembers that challenge as an unforgettable moment of triumph and satisfaction. She gives the credit to her running routine, an essential tool that helped her reinvent herself.

Taking on the challenge of each Ultra-run as a test of mental toughness she has grown from strength to strength with each passing year.

She has shown that with dedication one can steer one’s destiny and achieve any goal. She has made her mark in the running community by running unbelievable distances at various Stadium runs and Ultra-running events. She is now an inspirational runner to follow in the world of women’s running and has been setting the bar high with each of her spectacular runs. Now armed with her ultra-running super powers, she is leaner and mentally alert and she is all about taking on the next challenge. She has proved to be true superstar of running and definitely a name that no one should forget especially those who saw her valiantly overcome her battle with depression. A humble and extremely hardworking runner she gives all the credit of her success to her vibrant running group DXR . When not competing at various Ultra runs she is seen actively taking time to pay forward the gift of running to mentor young aspiring runners .

This year too she is gearing up to smash her own personal record at the upcoming Stadium run in New Delhi. She is gearing up to challenge her fitness levels by pushing her pain threshold as she feels that it is the only way she can continue to grow as a runner. She views running as a meditative process and she can’t imagine her life without its myriad benefits. Her motto is to keep doing better each time that and is looking forward to always better her athletic performance. Either which way we know that she will continue writing her very special ultra-running story, each and every time. You can follow her tales of grit on this Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/monika.kadian.718an

 

Next time you are thinking of skipping a run or miss a workout just keep these stories of grit and determination of these relentless ‘everyday elites” handy and ensure that your cup of motivation always keeps brimming to the hilt. These stories will surely get you excited to chase your own fitness goals.

“Everyday Elite”runners of India
Ritesh Udar

Each story of this series unfolds a different and unique running trajectory of an “Everyday Elite”. The readers get a VIP access to some awe-inspiring stories, an inside peek into some of  he biggest running challenges they have conquered and a very first look at their impressive upcoming year’s goals.

You may ask, why runners are so invested in the idea of challenging ourselves? Why do they do difficult things like long-distance running and embrace discomfort in order to grow? To find answers to these often asked questions we take a look at the sensational running journey of a young suave Pastry Chef from New Delhi. Having started running only 4 years ago, Ritesh Udar, our “Everyday elite” was trying to beat the monotony of his life and to increase his energy levels. His stint with the mad-mad world of ultra running, however, came during the covid lockdown period. The pandemic years seemed to have offered him a unique window of opportunity. With so much free time at his disposal Ritesh could not leave it at that. With running in his very DNA it wasn’t long before he started running long distance regularly. Months of disciplined training , deep determination, faith and encouragement from his running group saw him take his running trajectory to phenomenal heights.

Now running is an integral part of his life and the biggest takeaway for him is the importance of staying fit and active. He is a big advocate of being a part of any vibrant running groups and has completed unbelievable distances with his team mates. There has been no stopping him ever since and his iconic podium finishes at various long distance marathon events has earned him the name of the “golden boy” in his running group. He is determined to keep winning and he challenges himself to run longer distances each year and keeps relentlessly smashing his our personal records with each new run challenge.

He has run a total of 400 Half marathons, 15 full marathons , 15 ultra runs and a 24 hr stadium run till date. A truly superhuman feat, in such a short span of time, proving that he is an ultra marathoner extraordinaire, running unimaginable distances at unbelievable speeds.

He says however that the biggest achievement he felt was when he was asked to be a part to the dream team “The Great India Run” which ran continuously from Lal chowk, Kashmir to their final destination, Delhi. This run was organised to commemorate the occasion of the 75th Independece Day celebration in support of the “Har Ghar Tiranga campaign“ August 2022. Despite gruelling physical and psychological demands of this run, Ritesh powered on with his characteristic smile and triumphantly conquered each milestone with his teammates. The sheer magnitude of such a run would be a gut punch for any runner. Not for Ritesh. For him it was “pure ultra running”, an opportunity to again push his body beyond all limits and go beyond his pain barrier. The event went on to be an unmitigated success. This phenomenal performance has cemented his place among the top ultramarathoners of the country who thrive in challenging themselves to run further and longer.

Being the unstoppable elite runner that he is, instead of using the next few months for recovery we saw him head to Ladakh to take on the Khardungla Challenge (72km kms) which is the highest ultra marathon in the world. An event of this magnitude, set at a height of 17618 ft above sea level is an experience of a lifetime for any runner. Nothing is easy at this altitude let alone run a strong 72 km.

Unstoppable and on a high after achieving this once in a lifetime milestone he powered on to completed another awe-inspiring run, The Ladakh marathon(42kms), the very next day. Finishing two back to back tough ultra marathons in the most unbelievable time frames, surely leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind about Ritesh’s mental calibre as a legendary runner . His record breaking crazy attempts at unbelievable distances is a constant source of jaw dropping amazement and inspiration.

The numbers are stunning if you look at any marathon and his unbelievable finish times. Ritesh, of course, stays grounded and humble in his characteristic style and proudly basks in the attention that it brings him. As a runner he is determined to continue his running fervour and move forward boldly with confidence. Running is a time when he feels that there is magic in the air, his special time. He does not take his time for granted and keeps busy with training for his next running goal. He has set his goal is to try and Run a sub 3 hour full marathon in 2023. We are sure he would achieve his goal without blinking an eye considering his desire and willpower and deep love for the sport. You can follow this amazing everyday athlete on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ritesh.udar

We wanna make sure that our readers a just an inspirational story way from getting back on the track and towards a healthy lifestyle. So this hoping you manage to end the year on a high and do not let anything derail your life’s journey from the path of being fit and healthy.

Series: The Incredible “Everyday Elite” runners of India
Nandan Barua

As most of you are aware, runners are a special lot of individuals. They persevere relentlessly, thrive on pain and are passionate about beating their personal best records with each every marathon event that they compete in. Their consistency is inspiring and their sheer determination to cross the finish line makes running look like an effortless sport . Each kilometre that they have covered daily is as important to them as breathing itself.

Everyday Elite Nandan Barua is running to live his best life yet!

Champion runner and father of two, Nandan Barua, wrote his own personal fitness success story and highlighted it with his determination to never give up under any circumstance. Running for him is not just about amazing marathon runs, but about leading a healthy life, improving his fitness and feeling good inside his skin. For him it is all about keep his morale high, pushing himself out of his comfort zone and eventually winning the most difficult fight, the fight against oneself.

He is a Samsung electronics professional working in the corporate field for the last 20 years. He started his incredible running journey not in very ideal circumstances. A freak accident had confined him to full bed rest for a painful 2 months in 2013. An accomplished athlete playing football and track since his early college years this debilitating injury made him dig deep about his next course of action. With broken knees and spirit weakening with each day he knew at that point in his life that the only way he could bounce back into a meaningful existence, mind and body, would be too push himself towards a new goal. He pinned his hopes on running a half marathon as soon as his doctor gives him a go ahead. His body slowly recovered and the pain started ceasing and soon he started preparing himself mentally first for the big challenge that he had planned for himself. With Airtel Half Marathon dreams in his mind he slowly started training and struggled to push past his weakness, a little bit everyday. With a stubborn self belief and sheer hardwork, he powered ahead closer to his goal. When the event date arrived he successfully ran his half marathon and achieved his goal and gained an unwavering new sense of confidence in his physical capabilities and mental calibre.

He has shown that one can steer life from weakness to strength . With this new strong sense of achievement he went on to take on running daily as a lifestyle and has been running ever since. He knows now that whenever he needs motivation he just needs to look inside himself. Despite the difficult and uncertain times we currently live in, especially post- pandemic, Nandan lives his life knowing that this discipline is his lifeline to be fit. Now he truly believes that running is his therapy and advocates disciple and commitment to make seemingly impossible tasks become a reality.

On weekdays you would see him pounding the streets with some envious legwork in the wee hours of morning where he manages a cool 5-6 kms run without fail. He also is quite fond of his weekend runs with his fellow running group members, chit-chat long slow distance runs as they call it, especially on Sundays.

He believes the mantra that in 30 days one can create a habit, and this good habit can change the subsequent 30 years of ones life . Disciple is key he says, “Keep your mind strong and keep growing.” His advice to aspiring runners is admire all fellow runners but not try to copy them blindly. He says, “.. each runner is unique and inspiring in their own way ..so come what may, just don’t give up..”

With an envious and challenging goal of 2000 kms in year 2023 he is all set to test his tough at the Tata Mumbai marathon in January 2023. You can follow his inspirational journey on. His Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nandan.barua.58

These tales of the “Everyday elite” will take you on a journey of accomplishment and growth, new friendships, self – determination and the feeling of an overwhelming sense of joy that they must have felt on achieving the ultimate goal, crossing the finish line. Watch this space for more such inspiring tales.

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