Running Toward Dreams: The Journey of Manasi Samudra in Uno dos Tres Ultra Marathon

The other day, while running with a group of friends, someone asked me, “Since when have you been running?” I laughed and said, “Pretty much since I was born.” And honestly, it felt true. I’ve always been into sports — playing basketball through school and junior college, and later dabbling in running, gym workouts, and even learning yoga to stay fit. But after childbirth, my confidence took a serious hit — life had shifted in a whole new direction.

It was in 2012 that I finally gathered the courage to register for my first ever running event — a 4KM run in my own locality. I had been training on and off, and didn’t feel ready for a 10K yet. My only goal was to run those 4 kilometers without stopping.

And when I did it, I was absolutely thrilled — even though I didn’t check my timing. That small win gave me the boost I needed. The following year, I completed my first 10K, and later another one to improve my timing. But as life would have it, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Encouraged by a friend, I signed up for my first Half Marathon (21KM) at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) in 2014. Once I registered, my training got serious. I joined a few Facebook running groups to learn and stay motivated. In October, I took on a 15KM race at the PRBM event as a warm-up, and to my surprise, I came second in the women’s category.

Buoyed by this success, I finally met Roshni Rai — a Comrades finisher whose Mumbai Runner Girls group I had joined online two years earlier. With her guidance and support, I finished my first Half Marathon in 2 hours and 6 minutes. I also began running regularly with her on Sundays. Based on my running background, Roshni encouraged me to take the next leap — a Full Marathon (42KM) at SCMM 2015.

Training with Roshni and the group was a blast. We explored different parts of Mumbai during our long Sunday runs, met new runners, and soaked in the community spirit. I ran my first Full Marathon in January 2015, completing it in 4 hours and 33 minutes — and even placed 13th in my category.

With no major goal beyond running the next SCMM in 2016, I resumed my local runs. That’s when I met the inspiring Ultra-running couple Sunil and Sangeeta Shetty. Sunil encouraged me to participate in the Mumbai Ultra and offered to mentor me through training. Once I saw the schedule, I committed to the challenge.

Along the way, I connected with a few fellow first-time Ultra runners. We trained together, supported each other, and kept each other motivated throughout the journey — all under Sunil’s steady guidance. I followed the plan diligently, except for a minor setback in June when I injured my knee due to skipping strength training. Thankfully, it was a minor issue, and I resumed after tweaking my schedule a bit.

One of the most memorable training moments was participating in an 8-hour run organized by Runtastics Dil Se. It was perfectly timed and organized, and gave all of us training for the 12-hour event a major confidence boost.

After tapering, carb-loading, hydrating, and resting well for the final three days, the big day — August 15th, the Mumbai Ultra — arrived. A group of us headed to Shivaji Park together.

We warmed up, joked around, met old and new friends, and prepared ourselves mentally.

At exactly 5 AM, the run began. Sachin and I had similar strategies and decided to run together. We cheered, chatted, and ran alongside both seasoned stalwarts and enthusiastic beginners. It was heartwarming to see older runners cruising along with smiles, and truly awe-inspiring to watch a wheelchair-bound runner duo participate in the 12-hour event.

The event support was exceptional — water stations, medical aid, physiotherapists, and volunteers were everywhere. After each loop, we had our weight and BP checked before continuing. We were pampered with bananas, boiled potatoes, peanuts, idlis, dosas, wafers, jaggery, dates, rock salt, and chilled watermelon. Hydration was well-managed with Enerzal, water, and even Red Bull.

After completing three loops, we took a well-earned break and devoured some delicious idli-chutney. Recharged, we hit the fourth loop and finished strong. Unfortunately, Sachin started experiencing knee pain, so we slowed down and walked more. After loop five, we enjoyed khichdi and watermelon before heading into loop six.

During the seventh loop, I joined another runner, Sunil, and we continued together. Sachin soon rejoined after a short break. With about half an hour left till 5 PM, we started our eighth and final loop. I surprised my husband and daughter by running toward the finish, then turning back to complete the loop. We finished the last stretch strong — Sachin and I, as we had started — completing around 75KM, smiling all the way.

Looking back on my journey, every step brings a sense of pride — from that very first 4KM to the 75KM Ultra. The biggest lesson? With consistency, the right support, and the courage to take that first step, anything is possible.

WRITTEN BY ULTRA MARATHONER MANASI SAMUDRA