Mens Sana in Corpore Sano. aka “a healthy mind in a healthy body.”
You must have heard this phrase so many times in school, right?
My dad always used to tell me this and, he used to take me with himself for yoga and morning walks. Now I understand why he used to say this. Thank You, Dad!
I never realized the importance of this phrase until I moved out of my house. Long story short, now I know the very essence of this phrase.
So, the question is, what do you do for a healthy body? I run. I got into running after watching the movie “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” from then it’s always on and off. But now from the last three years, it’s on.
I keep participating in marathons as I love running. So, I recently ran Adani Ahmedabad Marathon on 24 Nov 2019. And it was an unforgettable experience.
In this article, I am going to share that experience with you.
About Adani Ahmedabad Marathon-
- The cause of this marathon is to pay tribute to our soldiers. #run4oursoldiers
- One of the most picturesque routes in the world.
- Race categories include a full marathon, half marathon,10km, and 5 km.
- one of the most beautiful tracks in the country.
- Rated as the 4th best marathon in the country by MRR.
- As a token of respect and gratitude, they contribute a significant portion of the proceeds towards the welfare of the Indian armed forces.
When does it happen?
Every year on LAST SUNDAY OF NOVEMBER.
Adani Ahmedabad Marathon 2021 – 28 NOV 2021
Registration details
Only online registrations are available.
official website: https://www.ahmedabadmarathon.com/
How was my experience?
It was a fantastic experience. I clocked 46:11 my personal best in 10k.
Before this, I never ran any outstation run. For me, it was also a learning experience. In 2018, I saw everybody participating in this marathon and clocking their personal best. So I thought what’s that special in this marathon? Why everybody is clocking their best? I also decided to run in 2019.
I live in Mumbai, and Ahmedabad is not so far from Mumbai. So I arrived Ahmedabad just a night before. Little did I know what was in store for me. I am a very spontaneous kind of guy. So I also didn’t do any research or even booked hotels. And this spontaneity took a toll on me.
Long story short, I had a terrible day that day. My three hotel bookings got cancelled, and I was stranded on the road for 4hrs calling customer care, figuring out at which location to stay.
Thankfully got a room. But there were more bad things to happen, on my way to a restaurant my auto got into an accident, fortunately, didn’t happen anything to anyone. I was having a really bad day.
Due to this, I reached the restaurant late, but thanks to God, they let me in and, I tell you, I never had such delicious thali in my lifetime (at Atithi, Judges Bungalow Road ). It costs 300INR per thali. It was all worth it. If you’re in Ahmedabad next time, I strongly recommend you to visit this restaurant once. Thank me later.
How to reach?
You can reach Ahmedabad by air, train, and road.
I took a train(Gandhidham express; 22951) from Borivali station(Mumbai) to Ahmedabad station. It took me 8 hrs. This train departs from Borivali station at 11:55 pm and reaches Ahmedabad at 7:55 am.
There are plenty of trains available between these two cities.
Where to stay?
Now comes the main issue, the race venue Adani Shantigram is far from the city. There are no hotels around that area. So, you have to stay in the city.
The good thing is, organizers have a tie-up with some of the prominent hotels in the town, and they offer some exclusive prices for the outstation athletes.
You can check their rates and inclusions: HERE
In case you’re like me who travels on a shoestring budget, I would suggest you stay in cheap hotels or a dormitory. For roaming around the city, always take a lift.
I stayed at a hotel near the railway station.
How to reach the venue?
As I told you, race venue Adani Shantigram is far from the city. Its 20-22kms from Ahmedabad railway station and 19kms from the airport.
Ola, Uber, and local transport are the only options.
I took ola bikes and auto as they are more economical than the usual rate.
Lessons learned at Adani Ahmedabad Marathon –
1. Arrive at least two nights before the race day.
I arrived just a night before, and unfortunately, things didn’t happen my way. I got exhausted, didn’t eat anything, and the travel fatigue. Everything got mixed up; hence I was totally drained.
As a result, I was fatigued on the race day. You don’t get recover in just one night. Otherwise, I could have done it better.
Have time to rest. And rest properly.
Read: Best travel companies in India to book hotels.
2. Ask your hotel staff for a wake-up call.
I know you can set the alarm, but I would recommend you ask for a wakeup call too. In case, you didn’t get up from alarm that day.
As I mentioned above, I was fatigued, so guess what I couldn’t wake up on time. I did set my alarm. Therefore, I arrived late at the race venue. I started my run after 15mins of the flag off time.
3. Carry your own the same pre-post run snacks/supplements you use daily
Your body gets accustomed to what you consume daily, and the body doesn’t react the same way it has been doing due to sudden change.
I usually have oats and bananas as pre-run, but that day I didn’t eat anything because I was running late, and I didn’t have anything either as I completely forgot to buy because of so much hassle on the previous day.
Obviously, I didn’t feel strong while running.
4. Train well.
“Don’t dream of winning, train for it!”
Mo Farah, Olympic long-distance runner
It’s the most cliché, but the high, the satisfaction you get after pushing yourself, achieving your target, giving your best is unparalleled to any emotion. Train for it. Train insane.
Special Mention
I would like to thank my inspiration and coach Manoj Rane sir, famously known as ‘Flying Machine‘ in the running community.
He is the boss of the Mumbai running community, runs at lightning speed and an amazing coach. For more about his records, titles, and daily running inspiration, check him out on Instagram. You’ll get a lot of value about running.
He is running for 11 years now. You can also directly message him about training or any query related to running.
My goal for this run was to run 10k in sub 45mins but I clocked 46:11. Honestly, I don’t have any fascination with speed, but I like to push my limits. As long as I am running daily, I am more than happy.
I don’t run to run a marathon. I run a marathon to run daily. And that’s the goal: TO RUN DAILY. Marathon just helps me to set a goal.
“I think I get addicted to the feelings associated with the end of a long run. Love feeling empty, clean, worn out, and sweat-purged and that good ache of the muscles that have done me proud.”
Kristin Armstrong
Closing Thoughts
I hope this article answers all your questions regarding Adani Ahmedabad Marathon, still if you have any questions, ask me in the comments section. I would be more than happy to answer all your questions.
“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”
Dean Karnazes
Happy Running!
4 Responses
Cool article
informative!!
Thanks, Dev!
Beautiful boss. I run on the treadmill for 10-15 minutes, I never a big fan of running but after reading your article I have to check my limits…you just pumped me to do it. I appreciate that your article motivated me to check my fitness .