Kaas Ultra – 50 KM Race Review

BT (Bhagora Thakur) aur 50 ka Aatank

Mahohar Kahani- 50th Anniversary edition: 50वीं दौड़, 50वें जन्मदिन पर, 50KM

📅 Date: 13 April 2025
🕛 Start Time: 12:01 AM
🌡️ Temperature: 18°C
🌕 Status: Chandni raat hai..
🏁 Event: Kaas Ultra – 50 kilometers
🔢 Bib Number: 5014
⏱ Finish Time: 6 घंटे 32 मिनट

All credit for this Manohar Kahani goes to ever- straight faced, ever-witty Sunil Kumar.

2023 में मैंने यही दौड़ 5 घंटे 29 मिनट में पूरी की थी।
पर इस बार, I wasn’t chasing the clock. I was chasing the moon, the mood, and the magic of the moment.

🎶 Andheri Raaton Mein…

It was a surreal start — pitch dark, gently cold, lit up by a glowing full moon. The route was hushed, and I found myself humming Bachchan saab ka classic – “Andheri raato mein…”

Yes, I was under-trained — a recovering right knee injury had ensured that. But my goal was clear:
Run with joy. Run with stories. Run with surrender.

---

🛣 Route Review – Gravity, Grit & the Great Moon Chase

➤ First 20 KM – Downhill Delight (Elevation loss ~440m)
This section felt like the road was gifting me speed. I let gravity do the job and slipped into conversation mode with Stephen. The view of Satara city lights below and the stars above made this stretch truly magical.

➤ Next 20 KM – Uphill Reality Check (Elevation gain ~440m)
Back to where it all began — this climb was no joke. Especially the 4 KM stretch from 20K to 24K — a slow, demanding, lung-opening grind. But… 👀 The moon!
It looked massive, close, almost like it was calling us forward — a race toward the moon. No kidding.

➤ Final 10KM – Rolling Hills & The Pain Cave
This is where the legs start to debate with the heart.
It’s not the terrain, it’s the mind.
And it’s also the section where you stop running for a finish time and start running for survival (and samosas, if they were offered).

---

💕 Route Support – Sasural Waala Pyar!

Let me say it straight — the support was royal.
Ek dam naya-naya damaad jaisa feel aaya. Every 4–5 KM there were aid stations, and in between them, mobile aid volunteers on scooters, bikes, popping up like NPCs in a video game.

What did they have?

• Water? ✅
• Electrolytes? ✅
• Boiled potatoes? ✅
• Oranges? ✅
• Salt, Coca-Cola? ✅✅
• Pain sprays and medicos? ✅✅✅

Honestly, the only thing missing was a “substitute runner”, who could’ve run a few kilometers on my behalf while I posed for photos with a smile and a medal-ready look.

A Big Thank You to the Organizers and Volunteers!!

Continuing with the Damaad treatment ShivSpirit (the race organizers) offered the wedding album (race photos) free after 2 days.

---

🏃‍♂️ 50 Races Later…

Here’s a peek into my 50-race journey so far:

• 🗻 19 Ultras – Jahaan GPS bhi bolta hai, “bhai tu ruk ja”
• 🏃‍♂️ 16 Full Marathons – Jahaan dard aur nirvana saath-saath aate hain
• 🔁 4 HM+ – Half marathon se thoda zyada, ego ke liye perfect
• 🧨 11 Half Marathons – Cute looking but race ke waqt ek dum killer

Har race ne ek kahani दी — कुछ Manohar, कुछ masaledaar.

---

💭 Final Thoughts

I didn’t need a new personal best.
I needed a personal memory — under the moonlight, on a lovely plateau, with friends, support, and the comforting rhythm of my breath and footsteps.

50वीं दौड़, 50वें जन्मदिन पर, 50KM

Mahohar Kahani- 50th Anniversary edition- BT (Bhagora Thakur) aur 50 ka Aatank..The END!