Young Kaushal keen to make his mark
It’s the running itself, and the company that I enjoy rather than the timing I achieve
The 21- year- old Kaushal Chauhan, the youngest in the inaugural edition of the Great India Run, is looking to make the most of the challenge at India’s first ever multicity marathon, which flags off from New Delhi on Sunday.
Ultramarathoner Kaushal, who belongs to Agra, picked up the sport as he had no money to pursue any other sport, that require equipment and facilities. Also, he wanted to keep himself fit and stay active.
Says Kaushal,“I grew up wanting to be a sportsman, but could never really afford the equipment. Running provided me some solace, as I could even run barefoot.”
Kaushal doesn’t have a coach and won his place in the race on merit, winning the “Run for Rio” competition organised by MobieFit Technologies.
He adds, “It’s a dream to be able to run alongside the likes of Arun Bhardwaj and other prominent runners. Running alongside such greats really motivates me and makes me think I can achieve much more that I had ever hoped for.”
The 1,480- km run, conceptualized by ProSportify in association with MobieFit Technologies, will pass through Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Jaipur and Ahmedabad. The run will also have celebrity runner Milind Soman covering a special stretch of 570 km from Ahmedabad to Mumbai via Silvassa. Meanwhile, Denmark’s ultra runner Pia Hansson says she will have to quickly adapt to the climate changes during the run, that will culminate in Mumbai on August 6.
“The run should be great fun and for it, I will have to adapt to the environment quickly and I am quite excited to be running in these new surroundings,” said the 49- year- old, who is positioned number 3 in Club 100 marathons rating list.
“Running is the time I am free, and for me, it’s sacred. For me it feels like the more I use my body, the more energy I get back. It makes me feel stronger,” said Hansson, who is mother of a 11year- old.
Asked on how she attended five marathons in 48 hours, Hansson said, “When I run, I run without a watch. It’s the running itself, and the company that I enjoy rather than the timing I achieve.”
Hansson will be joined by 14 of the best ultra- marathoners from India and the world which include international champion Arun Bhardwaj, David Bredo and Yuri Esperson.
WILL HAVE TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGES: HANSSON