“The atmosphere during the run was electrifying with people of all age groups cheering us all along the route. The energy kept me going. I was running with a clear mind without the pressure of a set goal. I could sprint in the last few hundred metres and that was a great feeling,” says Madhuri Palli, a Visakhapatnam-based radiologist and founder of Vizag Runners Society. The 46-year-old runner completed the Comrades Marathon held on June 11 in South Africa, a 89.885 kilometre race between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, in 10 hours and 57 minutes well ahead of the cut-off time of 12 hours.
Madhuri says she owes it to her coach Ashok Nath and Vizag Runners Society for making her do the impossible. She attempted her first full marathon in 2016 and over the years has completed three full marathons, five ultra-marathons and three 25-kilometre ultra marathons. Her longest one was the 65 kilometres Buddha Trails in Darjeeling. “But nothing surpasses the feeling of crossing the finishing line at Comrades Marathon. It is an ultimate test of endurance and mental fortitude,” says Madhuri, who became the first female runner from Andhra Pradesh to complete the grueling marathon, known for its demanding course and rigorous competition.
