Dr Umesh Bhammarkar at Pangong
| Photograph Credit score: Particular association

This month (February 2024), Dr Umesh Bhammarkar from Hyderabad ran one of the troublesome marathons. He ran on the frozen Pangong Lake (world’s highest saltwater lake) in Leh Ladakh. The lake is positioned at an altitude of 14,272 toes and round 120 athletes from around the globe participated on this marathon organised by Journey Sports activities Basis of Ladakh with the assist of the Administration Union Territory of Ladakh and 14 corps of the Indian Military.

The World’s Highest Frozen Lake Marathon-2024 is formally registered within the Guinness Ebook of World Data. Despite the fact that Bhammarkar had signed up for the complete marathon (42 kilometres), a change in weather conditions on the day of the run with the wind velocity going up, noticed the organisers proscribing the run to 21 kilometres. Bhammarkar accomplished the run in over three hours and is again within the metropolis and his clinic. “All of the runners who signed for 42kilometers needed to do 21 kilometeres on the recommendation of the organisers.

Having run the second version of this marathon, the marathoner says he ran nearly all hills within the Hyderabad and spent a mean of two to a few hours at Snow World (a synthetic snow theme park) to get a really feel of minus temperatures. Other than including layers of clothes to maintain heat, runners put on sneakers with a particular attachment to the only to keep away from skidding. His preparation concerned a whole lot of power, plyometric, resistance and practical coaching.

Umesh has been working marathons since 2015 and has coated nearly all in India. How does he fee the Pangong Lake marathon when it comes to problem? “On a scale of 1 to 10, it needs to be 10, it was tougher than different runs I’ve performed to this point. The altitude, chilly and wind velocity make it one of the troublesome runs in India. Additionally it is a prestigious marathon organised by the Indian Military. At occasions, the wind velocity is so excessive that your nostril will get blocked and visibility comes down.” Nevertheless, probably the most troublesome half for Bhammarkar was the nosebleed, one thing many individuals expertise at such altitude. “Add to all these difficulties, I additionally skilled numbness in my toes and fingers because of the chilly. The temparature there was between -27 levels centigrade to -30 levels centigrade,” he provides.

Sharing recollections of how he began to run, Bhammarkar says the runners on Necklace Highway with the particular jersey and marathon bib impressed him. “On weekends, I might see marathon runners all alongside Necklace Highway. I used to be intrigued by the enjoyment on their faces on completion. I signed up for a five-kilometre run simply to get a really feel for it.”

He was not solely shocked that he accomplished the run, however he additionally learnt there could be a particular coach for runners. “That’s once I first met my mentor Jacqueline Babitha Xavier (JBX). She is a working and health coach. I made a decision to offer my newfound ardour (working) the much-needed consideration. Whereas coaching with JBX, I noticed that with correct steerage, one can run higher, breathe higher and keep away from accidents.”

There was no trying again for Bhammarkar after that. Despite the fact that he heard about frozen lake marathons in Switzerland and Antarctica, he needed to do his first in India.