January 21, 2018: Finished Tata Mumbai Marathon with an official time of 3:45: 01. Bettered my course record by 18 minutes and more importantly finished strong- drove back to Pune hours after the race. The icing on the cake.. I was at the finish line with GOPI (India elite winner). Well who know’s he started an hour twenty-eight late 😉
TMM18 also marks 2 years of running. Shaving 18 minutes off my personal course best was the outcome of 2300 km of training in year 2 which included:
4 Ultras (50 and 75 km)
5 Marathons
and 42 runs between 21km and 40km
i.e. a total of 51 Runs Half Marathon (21km) or more + 1 Olympic distance Duathlon.
Special callout for the organizers of the 3 Ultras (the 4th one was a solo ultra) for awesome events that they put together (in chronological order of participation):
Sanjay Mangla, Manjeet Singh – Mandy and TUFFMAN for Tuffman Shimla Ultra – Mashobra (I did 50 km)- this trail tests your tactical running skills.
Nikhil Shah , Arvind Bijwe and RunBuddies.Club for Matheran Endurathon (I did 50 km) – this trail is a bliss if you love rains
Naveen Badri, Jeetendran Nair and FreeRunners for Pune Ultra (I did 75 km)- This is truly an event by Runners for Runners.
I also had a few podium moments this year including one at Stone Ridge Valley Marathon
Sharing my haul from the 2nd year of running.
By Bhaskar Thakur
Bhaskar Thakur | Marathoner | Ultra Runner | Storyteller of the Road
From mountain trails to city marathons, Bhaskar Thakur has run across terrains, temperatures, and time zones — with a grin, grit, and a Garmin.
An avid runner since 2015, Bhaskar has completed over 50 races, spanning ultramarathons, full marathons, and half marathons, including legendary events like the Comrades Marathon (South Africa), TCS London Marathon, Valencia Marathon, and India’s grueling Khardung La Challenge.
🔹 Personal Bests (PBs):
Full Marathon PB: 3:30:08 – Adani Ahmedabad Marathon, Nov 2022
Half Marathon PB: 1:40:10 – Pune Maha Half Marathon, April 2022
50K Ultra PB: 5:27:59 – Tata Ultra Marathon, May 2022
100K Ultra Finish: 15:08:00 – Pune Ultra 100K, Nov 2020
Comrades Marathon Back to Back Finish: 10:38:00 (2022 Down Run), 11:00:47 (2023)
🔹 Marquee Races & Experiences:
Comrades Marathon (South Africa) — Twice a Comrades finisher (2022, 2023)
TCS London Marathon (2024) — Sub-4-hour finish
Valencia Marathon (2023) — One of the world’s fastest courses conquered
Khardung La Challenge — 72K at 17,500 feet altitude
Bhaskar’s journey is a story of evolution — from road marathons to trail ultras, from chasing PBs to cherishing the sheer poetry of running. His style combines methodical training, mental toughness, and a generous dash of desi humor, often drawing parallels between life’s ups and downs and marathon mileage.
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