The inspiring journey of Ultrarunner Kavitha Kanaparthi
Runner Kavitha Kanaparthi has been promoting ultra-running setting some high standards in endurance sports
Hyderabad: Ultra marathons are a growing sport in India. Many people have been taking part in the various longer races that are not only a grueling test of human endurance, but also mental strength.
Kavitha Kanaparthi, a woman runner, has been instrumental in promoting the discipline of ultra-running and has set some high standards in endurance sports.
Kavitha is the first woman Race Director in India and what started as a blog to share her running stories to motivate others, turned into an organisation called Globeracers in 2009.
“I organised the first race in Himalayan region of Sandakphu. Its success resulted in Thar Desert Run, which covered several villages, desert regions and remote places,” she said.
Running has been second nature to Kavitha. Even as a child, she would run with her father in the morning. “It became a habit of sorts since childhood and as life progressed, running became a stress reliever for me,” she added.
With her roots in Vijayawada and family staying in Hyderabad, Kavitha migrated to the United States, completing her Bachelors of Engineering from Washington University in St Louis.
After a year’s gap due to the pandemic, Kavitha is now focussed on organising the Bhatti Lakes Ultra — covering dusty, slippery, thorn strewn trails along five mirror-like lakes in Aravalli Forest that houses blue bulls, camels, foxes and peacocks. Scheduled from April 1 to 4, it will have runners compete in distances from 50 km to 338 km.
“This year we have introduced prize money through our athlete fund, with a trail championship challenge. The prize money given to the athletes will be scaled based on the record times set in each category. This is the first time an ultra-race has such a championship where a runner breaking the current trail record wins cash prizes and with faster times the prize money increases,” she said.
A Yoga and fitness practitioner, Kavitha is also gearing up for the ultra-trail team race from Oslo to Bergen that covers 515 km and is to be held in July.
“My training has been slow due to a knee injury and sciatica. I am getting back to serious training, and used the lockdown to stay fit while teaching Yoga and fitness virtually,” she shared.
While the Ultra races are taken up mainly by male runners, many women runners limit their participation to marathons only. However, Kavitha points out that statistically, women ultra-runners have much more endurance than men.
“It is a myth that women can’t run longer. In fact, studies show that at some of the very longest distances that people run, women tend to outperform men on a minute-per-mile basis. Many women are running marathons today, and performing excellently. I would like to see more female participation in ultra-races in India in the future,” she added.
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