JOIN USMarathoner misses target by whisker
Tormented by blisters, illness and injuries, ultra-marathoner Samir Singh got to within 36 km of his goal of running 10,000 km in 100 days when pain and exhaustion beat him.
Singh, dubbed “The Faith Runner” and inevitably compared to Forrest Gump, spent nearly three months running between Mumbai’s slums and business district using donated clothes and equipment, and living on just about Rs 200 a day. At the end of his attempt last week, the 170-cm tall running coach, who also suffered stomach problems and viral fever, weighed just 40 kg.
Singh started on April 29 in Mumbai’s scorching heat, and has been running through the monsoon rains without skipping a day. He needed to clock 150 km on the final day, after falling behind schedule through illness. But the 44-year-old could only complete 114 km, falling agonisingly short of his target--which was the equivalent of about a quarter of the earth’s circumference.
“He was plagued by gastro-intestinal infections and contracted viral fever but has run 9,964.19 km in 100 days,”Vikram Bhatti, who handled Singh’s campaign, said.
Singh would start before 5 am, and run around 60 km by 1 pm. After some food and rest, he would start again at 4 pm and complete the journery he had deicided for the day. He had no fixed route for the day and on occasions, he ran on the beach. He had joined some event in running. Mumbai’s notorious potholes did trouble him. However, he would not love to encounter a controversy by making it an issue.
Dressed in a blue sports vest, Singh started each day in the early hours from the northern Mumbai slums and headed to the business district in the city’s south. “My journey of running 100 km per day is very challenging but I wanted to show the endurance limit of human spirit,” Singh had said ahead of the final run.
Friends mocked the man from Madhya Pradesh for taking on the challenge, but it became an attempt that caught the public imagination. “I survived without a job for the last nine months and people have come forward and supported me with donations, shoes, clothes and equipment,” Singh said.
He had a GPS watch, a basic mobile phone for emergencies and Rs 200 a day. Singh said he particularly enjoyed his meal of rice and spicy lentils, after every run. The five-time ultramarathon winner lost 16 kg during the challenge as his exertions took their toll.
“I have focused on my goals with determination and nurtured my dreams despite cracked heels, fractured joints and legs,” Singh said. He was spotted one day by Mumbai documentary-makers Vandana and Vikram Bhatti, who christened him “The Faith Runner”. “We met him on the 47th day of his challenge and were taken aback by his story. So, we ran a Facebook campaign to create awareness and generate funds for Samir,” Vandana Bhatti said.
Fans had joined him for several stretches of his run each day.
Singh’s run was longer than the Great Wall of China (5,500 km) and further than the distance from Mumbai to London (7,200 km).
Singh said he knew only running and he has been doing it ever since he started some years ago. Singh is from Kanhakheda village in the Mandsaur district in Madhya Pradesh. After he shifted to Mumbai he had a tough time in findingd a job. He had lost all his records as his school building had collapsed. The records from the collapsed building could not be retrieved and he had to move to Mumbai without valuable records.
After a struggle, he realised that his forte was running and he took it up seriously. Then, naturally, he decided to become a running coach and subsequently, it became a profession to earn bread and butter.
What made this village boy to take up running. He says he was inspired by the performance of Kenyans at the Mumbai marathon. He wanted to compete with them. As he is a self-taught runner, he did not know much about science, nutrition and recovery that are required for marathons and ultramarathons. Singh started running late in life—and when he saw the Kenyans he wanted to compete with them. Then he figured out that he was better at ultramarathons. It wasn’t until last year that he started running longer distances regularly.
Interestingly, Singh does not depend on diet suggested by experts. Singh is a vegetarian. He doesn’t follow diet or fixed meal plan. But he eats regularly, snacks through the day and remains hydrated. “I eat Satvik food, made with little salt and turmeric, and no spices. It’s what gives me energy,” he claims.
Satvik diet is based on Ayurvedic principles and emphasis is on seasonal fruits and vegetables, dairy products, whole nuts and grains and no meat.
He took snacks frequently and always carried dates and ate them during breaks. The only supplements were whey protein and energy gel twice a day.
Singh had many dreams and one of them was to get trained in Kenya. Interestingly, Singh trained for several months at Vrindavan and as part of his routine, he would visit places such as Vrindavan and Govardhan. He would do average running of 75 km a day.
He was mistaken for a baba in Vrindavan as several people do parikrama is different manner--some even crawl as part of their vow.
He faced several difficulties to begin with. He was a barefoot runner. He was forced to go in for shoes as he had injuries in foot. Getting used to shoes was not easy. His determination and resolve saw him through all the troubles. His single point devotion was to achieve his goal.
He is not disheartened with falling short of the target. He is setting his sights high, probably too high and more gruelling--the distance could be a couple of times more than what he has completed. His thoughts are already on how to prepare for the more challenging mission. He is not looking for recognition or praise. So, his resolve may see him through it.