Adani Ahmedabad Marathon- Half Marathon- Race Report

Expo – Running ke naam pe shopping!

Expo ka scene tha pura Diwali mela vibes! Aur timing? 2 baje start hua, which was a first for me. Matlab subah kaam karo, aur phir afternoon mein “running gear shopping” kar lo. Bib collection was as smooth as a 100m sprint—no hurdles, no drama.

Free ka maal? Mil gaya 2 T-shirts, ek healthy packet of muesli (jo shayad kabhi khatam nahi hoga), aur flyers ki baarish. Expo mein logon ka jazba dekh kar laga ki kal marathon nahi, apocalypse ke liye taiyaari chal rahi thi—sab kuch must-have! Bhai paise kahan se aate in Ahmedabad mein 😉

Aaila! mera Bib Number to deko 737! Jumbo Jet!! Babu Moshai! Naam mein kya rakha hai Bhaska ho ya Bhaskar! However, I got it fixed at the help desk!

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Pre-Race Dinner – Burger bhi, tofu bhi!

Dinner ka scene light but fabulous tha. Ek veg burger aur tofu stir-fry ka combination—dono delicious aur guilt-free. Kal energy milegi ya burger ke dreams? Well, toh pata chal gaya race day pe! But yes, it was filling without being heavy, so a big thumbs up to my choice.

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Pre-Race Rituals – Photo toh banta hai!

Night before the run ka ek hi ritual hai jo kabhi nahi badalta—gear photo. Sab kuch neatly laid out: bib, T-shirt, shoes, gels, aur ek hopeful smile. Photo kheech lo, kal ki destiny toh ab race pe depend karegi! But honestly, it’s such a small thing that keeps the excitement alive. ” Laal Chadi, Maidaan Khadi “

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Nutrition – Race ke peeche science!

Nutrition ka full jugaad ready tha. Ab bas usko follow karna tha!

• Subah ek kadak coffee—Ek sip mein full Josh!
• Race ke pehle Unived Elite Drink Mix (500 ml) to hydrate like a pro.
• During race:
  • Start se pehle ek caffeinated gel—because thodi caffeine toh zaruri hai.
  • 7K par ek non-caffeinated gel with 300 ml water.
  • 14K par phir ek non-caffeinated gel with another 300 ml water.

Bas, ye meri petrol pump strategy thi!

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Route Highlights – Ekdum mast aur thoda adjust!

Race ki shuruaat filmy style thi—star-studded flag off, thoda pataka, thoda “Arey, start kahan hai?” wali confusion. Lekin matra 100 meters ke baad hi ek sharp right turn tha, jahan laga ki “Bhai, ek saath sab kidhar jaa rahe ho?”

• 2.3K U-turn: Log bhaag rahe the, aur mann mein soch raha tha, ‘Yeh to bas trailer hai!’ Crowd manageable tha, bas thoda patience chahiye tha.
• 2.3K–10K: Oh ho, yeh toh dream stretch tha—pothole-free, seedha rasta aur mast vibes. Ekdum straight aur flat road pe full enjoy kiya with only a few humps jo speed breaker nahi, motivation breaker ban sakte the agar aap alert na ho.
• 10K–13K: Ab maze ke saath challenge ka dose! Narrow patches, aur rough tarred sections ne thoda “Sambhal ke, bhai sambhal ke” ka reminder diya. Lekin apna toh dhamaka tha!
• Final stretch: Bas, ab U-turn aur waapas wahi route. Same same, but different energy ke saath finish kiya.

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My Run – Plan banaya tha, aur follow bhi kiya!

Shuru ke 3K: Slightly faster kiya to break the crowd traffic jam. Strategy thi, “Ek baar nikal lo, phir smooth chalega.”
Pacing: Maintained a flat pace aur HR ko threshold par rakha—na zyada slow, na zyada fast. Aur haan, race ke dauran har runner se ek “Hey, all the best!” wala chhota interaction kiya. Yeh running ki asli social media vibes hain!

• Splits: First half around 50 mins, second half 51 mins—aaj kaafi consistent performance!
• Result: No PR, lekin second-best time at 1:41:37. Matlab “Tu Nathi to Thara Photo Pan Chalse!”

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Post-Race – Queue mein patience ka test!

Finish line cross kiya, aur laga “Bas, ab khana kahan hai?” Lekin bhai, yeh kya! Food ke queue mein 10-12 lines, aur har line mein 100 log. Yeh toh ek aur marathon tha—queue marathon!

Maine socha, “Chhodo yaar, hotel mein mast brunch karenge.” So I skipped the chaos and enjoyed my post-run meal in peace.

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Final Thoughts – Mazaa aaya!

Another race done. PR nahi tha, but “Bhai, time toh achha lag gaya!” Overall, ek solid performance jo training aur planning ka proof tha. Bas, ab agla race ka plan shuru! Onwards and upwards!