Marathon 2025: This top city municipal officer is an ‘ultra’ hero

Even as Vishvas Mote deputy commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Zone 3 typed out an acknowledgement to a congratulatory message on his phone yet another popped up on the screen All those lsquosuper se bhi uparrsquo messages flooding his phone were because Mote finished the Comrades Marathon 2025 in South Africa on Sunday June 8 running 89 km in a time of 11 hrs 53 minutes and 50 seconds or 115350 like they say in running lingoThe Comrades is an ultramarathon and is labelled as the lsquoultimate human racersquo held annually in the KwaZuluNatal province of South Africa from Durban to Pietermaritzburg An ultramarathon also known as an Ultra or Ultrathon is any foot race which is above the traditional full marathon distance of 422kmTerrainThe Comrades Marathon began in 1921 as a tribute to fallen World War I soldiers It is now known as one of the toughest Ultras in the world with more than 20000 athletes from all over participatingMote strikes a pose PicNaaradMote whose running bib number was 55658 said from Durban before the event that it was ldquonot just a race but a pilgrimage of passion and purposerdquo While the Comrades is a very daunting distance the real test is its unforgiving terrain with its alternating ldquouprdquo and ldquodownrdquo runs each yearFitnessFitness is a byword in Motersquos life His mobile display picture DP on WhatsApp which is often an arbiter for what people think or believe states lsquoWhy I Respect Fit Peoplersquo The DP goes on lsquoA wellbuilt physique is a status symbol that reflects your hard work Money cannot buy it nor can you inherit it You cannot steal it nor can you borrow it You cannot hold on to it without constant workThe smile and tricolour say it all PicSonali MoteIt shows dedication discipline selfrespect and dignity It shows patience work ethic and passion Being fit is far more than just looksrsquo Mote lives by that DP The top BMC official completed the lsquoIronman Italy Emilia Romagnarsquo triathlon which is a swimcyclerun combination in a searing 15 hours 25 minutes and 4 seconds 15254 in Cervia Italy in September last year ldquoYetrdquo Mote explained ldquoThis race the Comrades is more brutal than the Ironman An event that truly fires up your spirit and feeds the soul as the promos sayrdquoPreparationMote who is in Durban currently explained ldquoI knew this Ultra comprised several segments of uphill running and I prepared accordingly I did a 65km hill run in Satara in April this year this was after doing the Tata Mumbai Marathon TMM in January In February I did a 50 km Tata Ultra in Lonavala and one more hill run in Nashik in April One must do three to four runs uphill which are from 50 km to 75 km to prepare for an event like this These long hill runs were done on the weekends I would start at 12 am on a Sunday finishing five to six hours later My routine practice I did in South Mumbai at Peddar Road Altamount Road Malabar Hill mdash all inclines on weekday morningsrdquoDeterminedOf the Comrades race itself Mote said ldquoDuring the course at around 40km I had cramps I almost collapsed I sat aside took a massage and thought to myself that I should give up Then after a rest I told myself lsquoLet me try to finishrsquo I was back on my feet after 30 minutes For an event like this strategy is allimportant one needs to devise a run walk jog regimen to completerdquo Mote thanked all his supporters family wife Sonali and accomplished Comrades finisher Satish Gujaran for helping and cheering him on When asked about striking a worklife balance Mote said with a laugh ldquoThat takes strategy too meticulous planning but it is achievable I wake up very early to start training by 5 am on weekdays getting in 25 hours after which it is off and ready for work Weekends are for longer runs With discipline one can find the right balance Add to this a diet that is hygienic and healthy Then we have the right formula and implementation is keyrdquo said the senior BMC official InspiringWhile his work will begin once Mote is back in Mumbai in a couple of days right now it is all about relishing and cherishing crossing that finish line ldquoElation celebration and some introspectionrdquo is how Mote described the postrace roller coaster of emotions Those on various life journeys can add one more to that mdash inspiration for Mote is truly that As the sun was getting ready to set in Durban a lean sinewy figure was running towards the finish line on the past Sunday silhouetted against the sky reminding us that the only limits are those that we put on ourselves