BENGALURU: For Samadhan Babasaheb Thorat, an Indian Army officer currently stationed at the Army Service Corps (ASC) Centre in Bengaluru, competing professionally in any sport – let alone an endurance-based one – was a far cry, having been born into an agrarian family in Maharashtra’s Sonke village. Through a few twists and turns, however, Thorat saw himself at the precipice of Ironman 70.3 (in Nice, France) earlier this month, and there was no going back.
The Ironman 70.3 is a gruelling triathlon comprising a 1.9 km-long swim, a 90 km-long bicycle ride, and a 21.1 km-long run, together making up 113 km (170.3 miles). For Thorat, who had worked at a hotel in his early days, the path was anything but straightforward.
In 2018, Thorat was selected to join the Indian Army. He initially trained at at ASC Centre and College, Bengaluru, and later opted for para-commando training, and completed it in 2021. Having picked up cycling in 2023, other physical activities soon followed suit.
With his training, Throat first participated in his first Ironman 70.3 in Goa in 2025, finishing which allowed him to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship 2026 in Nice. Thorat completed the triathlon on September 13, with a time of six hours, two minutes and 49 seconds.
“The biggest challenge for me was balancing my army duties with training, managing my time effectively, and preparing financially for the event. Coming from a farmer’s family, reaching the international level was not easy for me, and managing the travel arrangements was also challenging,” said Thorat who attributes much of his physical prowess to his army training.
“My next goal is the Tata Mumbai Full Marathon on January 17 (2027). I am aiming to complete the marathon in two hours and 55 minutes in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon in the US. I also dream of participating in the Comrades Ultra Marathon (90 km) in South Africa next year, and I have already started training for it,” Thorat added.