Gurgaon's fitness goals kept moving in 2018: When outstanding became ordinary

The Ironman Challenge is an endurance triathlon, the name of which almost all fitness enthusiasts in Gurgaon are quite familiar with. The race requires competitors to swim almost 4km in open waters, followed by a 180km bicycle ride, and a full marathon run of 42km, all in a single day. Needless to say, it is quite physically demanding. A few years ago, finishing an Ironman was the benchmark that you had made it in the field of fitness.However, 2018 has changed that. If you are an Ironman in Gurgaon right now, you are one among many. This has been the year when the benchmarks for fitness in the fitness-crazed town of Gurgaon have constantly and rapidly increased. In a bid to try newer challenges and push themselves beyond the limits, Gurugrammers are now achieving fitness goals that were hitherto considered impossible. And they are willing to put in the months of training and lakhs of rupees required to reach these summits.
Gaurav Makkar, 39
Achievement: Became the first Indian to finish the Ultraman World Championship, the premier endurance triathlon in the world, where participants finish a 10km swim, a 421km bike ride, and a 84km double marathon distance run over three days
The fitness buffs who have scaled new peaks in 2018 say that the drive comes from trying something new and finding new challenges for oneself. Adil Nargolwala, who achieved the Kili Double – reaching the summit of Africa’s highest peak Mt Kilimanjaro, and then running the Kilimanjaro Marathon the same week, says, “Ironman is now almost a window to other challenges. It has become a brand and that lures many people. There are others who want to continue pushing themselves.” There are many who fit this bill. Gaurav Makkar finished his first Ironman in 2015 and followed it up with an Ultraman in February, and finally culminating it with the Ultraman World Championship in November. “Once you have accomplished something, repeating it never gives the same high. You want to do something new, something bigger. You want to raise the bar for yourself,” he says.
Siddhant Singh Chauhan, 36
Achievement: Finished the Celtman Extreme Triathlon, that sees participants complete a 3.8km swim, a 202km bike ride and a 42km run across Scottish Highlands in near freezing temperatures
Investment: Training for six months and monetary investment of Rs 3.5 lakh
While the physical demands of these competitions are always highlighted, what often remains unsaid is the financial investment such endeavours require. “Any Ironman event requires one to spend Rs 2 lakh at least in registration and travel alone. The training and nutrition is on top of that. For events like Ultraman, the expenditure gets doubled,” says Abhishek Mishra, the first Gurugrammer to finish Ironman and Ultraman triathlons. The competitors either dig in to their savings or rely on sponsors. “Salary class log hain. Itna paisa nahin hai ki we can do this whenever we want. Most of us are lucky that we have supportive families who let us save money for this. Our employers are kind enough to support, sometimes even financially as sponsors. For the rest, you have to look for sponsors,” says 41-year-old banker Bipin Kaul, who finished an Ultraman in May.
Abhishek Mishra, 33
Achievement: Ran a 140km Ultra marathon in Sri Lanka and started his bid to finish all 40 Ironman events in the world
Investment: The ultra-run required an investment of Rs 65,000 and the overall 40 Ironman project (spread over two years) will see him spending Rs 1 crore
However, the fitness buffs of the Millennium City says that peer pressure is never a factor. “If it was fueled by peer pressure alone and not passion to push your limits, people wouldn’t be able to sustain it. We train together so yes, we try and be competitive, but that’s healthy. You need to be passionate about doing something this demanding and crazy, else you will simply give up when the going gets tough,” says Siddhant Singh Chauhan, who finished the Celtman Extreme Triathlon in Scotland in June.
Bipin Kaul, 41
Achievement: Finished the Ultraman, the toughest endurance triathlon in the world, where participants finish a 10km swim, a 421km bike ride, and a 84km double marathon distance run over three days
Investment: Training for over six months and monetary investment of Rs 4-5 lakh
The achievers aren’t resting on their laurels even now. Gaurav Makkar already has his next target in sights. “I will now attempt something called the Epic Five – finishing five Ironman races in five successive days. That is something only 20 people attempt every year and no Indian has ever done it,” he informs us. Similarly, Adil Nargolwala is running a marathon in Antarctica of all the places in January, before teaming up with Bipin Kaul to swim the 40km expanse of the English Channel in September 2019 – a project that will require an investment of Rs 10 lakhs. “The thrill is in finding new challenges. We are athletes. We need to remain active and what’s better than finding challenges to push your limits,” says Abhishek Mishra, who has embarked on an ambitious project of finishing all the 40 Ironman Triathlons in the world by 2020.
Adil Nargolwala, 48
Achievement: Achieved the Kili Double – reaching the summit of Africa’s highest peak Mt Kilimanjaro, and then running the Kilimanjaro Marathon the same week
Investment: Training and recovery of three months and monetary investment of Rs 5 lakh