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"3:29:54" by Rathijit Mallick from Pune is a race story published on 26 March 2026. Read the full story at https://marathonmitra.com/stories/32954 to discover the runner's journey, experiences, and insights.

"3:29:54" was written by Rathijit Mallick from Pune. Visit https://marathonmitra.com/stories/32954 to read the complete story and learn more about the author's running journey and experiences. Connect with Rathijit Mallick and explore more stories from this runner on MarathonMitra.

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Rathijit Mallick — 3:29:54 · Pune · race

It's 1:30 or 2 am in the morning, most likely. I'm running through a serpentine road with Mulshi Dam on the left and a dark, dense forest on the right.

No music. No other fellow runners around. Just me with my flickering thoughts and the sound of my breathing. I finished an ultra marathon spanning a distance of 32 km with 370 meters elevation, organized by western ghats running foundation (WGRF).

This marks my 5th run of the year. First ever in the Ultra category. (When did I start my running journey you ask? 2025 December!)

I don't think I'll be able to explain this feeling in a mere paragraph of what truly felt pushing my boundaries beyond my known or thought limitations. The feeling when I got cheered by strangers in passing cars because I was running without my t-shirt. I thank those kind hearted souls for boosting my confidence.

Ethereal and inexplicable feeling when I crossed 95% of the participants in my category, got appreciated by fellow runners.

The feeling when I ran 6-8 kms at a stretch just by myself. Pitch dark. Nobody around or behind. Because I had crossed everyone at this point and the elite ones were way ahead of me.

With a sprained ankle for a week before the run (from a practice run), volini was the last smidgen of hope. "Whatever needs to happen, shall happen after the finish line" is what I told her at the beginning of the race. I would choose death only under that condition.

I threw a pre-conceived challenge at myself with a deadline of 3 hours and 30 minutes. Nothing logical about it. I simply felt I could pull it off.

With severe cramps which started 200-300 meters before the finish line, the timer on my watch buzzed when I crossed the ultimate time chip. The time stood at 3:29:54 hours.

Came 11th in gender and overall category, still giving me goosebumps that I made it happen. I had only one vision. I wanted to be placed in any one of the top 3 categories. Shot for the stars and landed on the moon.

It's almost conflicted to say that you don't need a simulation or an ideal condition to prepare for something. But all I'll say is that it seemed to have worked for me.😎