At 74, Hyderabad man qualifies for Boston Marathon after Ladakh feat

Nagabhushan Rao, a 74-year-old from Hyderabad, has qualified for the Boston Marathon 2026 after completing the challenging Ladakh Marathon at 11,000 feet. Starting only five years ago, he now inspires others by proving age is no barrier in long-distance running

Hyderabad: As 74-year-old Nagabhushan Rao glides past regular walkers in the ECIL area of Hyderabad, he greets them with a raised hand. Some even try to match his pace, but quickly give up, as he pushes ahead with a relentless stride that many half his age would struggle to sustain.

At an age when most people are content spending time with grandchildren, meeting old friends, or watching television, this senior citizen from KL Reddy Nagar in Mallapur has managed to qualify for the Boston Marathon (April 2026), a holy grail for amateur runners.

This September, he also completed the Ladakh Marathon, held at 11,000 feet (3,500 metres) above sea level and considered one of the toughest marathons in the world.

These days, the senior runner from Hyderabad is feted everywhere and is a regular participant in major ultramarathons and marathons across the country. From the long-distance Lonavala night ultramarathon and the 65 km Satara ultramarathon to the big city marathons in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi, he has done them all.

For Nagabhushan Rao, it is all about mindset. “If you want to achieve something, you must do it at all costs. I keep urging people in the 50 to 70 age group to lead an active life through running. But many struggle because of bad lifestyle choices made when they were younger. I never touched alcohol or tobacco, which is helping me now. It is important to stay healthy and inspire others to do the same,” says a proud Rao.

Long-distance running was never on his bucket list, as he started only five years ago. “I was inspired by my son, who is a long-distance runner in the United States. When I saw him complete the Chicago Marathon, I thought, why can’t I do it? I started with short distances like 5 and 10 km and gradually gained confidence and stamina,” he recalls.