Dr Umesh Bhammarkar at Pangong
| Photo Credit: Special association
This month (February 2024), Dr Umesh Bhammarkar from Hyderabad ran certainly one of the most 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 round the world participated on this marathon organised by Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh with the help of the Administration Union Territory of Ladakh and 14 corps of the Indian Army.
The World’s Highest Frozen Lake Marathon-2024 is formally registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. Even although Bhammarkar had signed up for the full 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 in the metropolis and his clinic. “All 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 in the Hyderabad and spent a median of two to a few hours at Snow World (a man-made snow theme park) to get a really feel of minus temperatures. Apart from including layers of clothes to maintain heat, runners put on sneakers with a particular attachment to the sole to keep away from skidding. His preparation concerned quite a lot of power, plyometric, resistance and useful coaching.
Dr Umesh at Leh Ladakh
| Photo Credit:
Special association
Umesh has been working marathons since 2015 and has coated nearly all in India. How does he price the Pangong Lake marathon when it comes to issue? “On a scale of 1 to 10, it has to be 10, it was more challenging than other runs I have done so far. The altitude, cold and wind velocity make it one of the most difficult runs in India. It is also a prestigious marathon organised by the Indian Army. At times, the wind velocity is so high that your nose gets blocked and visibility comes down.” However, the most troublesome half for Bhammarkar was the nosebleed, one thing many individuals expertise at such altitude. “Add to all these difficulties, I also experienced numbness in my toes and fingers due to the cold. The temparature there was between -27 degrees centigrade to -30 degrees centigrade,” he provides.
Sharing reminiscences of how he began to run, Bhammarkar says the runners on Necklace Road with the particular jersey and marathon bib impressed him. “On weekends, I would see marathon runners all along Necklace Road. I was intrigued by the joy on their faces on completion. I signed up for a five-kilometre run just to get a feel for it.”
Dr Umesh on completion of his run
| Photo Credit:
Special association
He was not solely stunned that he accomplished the run, however he additionally learnt there is usually a particular coach for runners. “That’s when I first met my mentor Jacqueline Babitha Xavier (JBX). She is a running and fitness coach. I decided to give my newfound passion (running) the much-needed attention. While training with JBX, I saw that with proper guidance, one can run better, breathe better and avoid injuries.”
There was no trying again for Bhammarkar after that. Even although he heard about frozen lake marathons in Switzerland and Antarctica, he wished to do his first in India.
