THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Be it working or sleeping, hardly anyone likes doing the same thing for one full day.
But imagine running on a race track, as part of a competition, for 24 hours straight — and still winning a silver medal for the country? What seems unattainable for many became a moment of prestige for Thiruvananthapuram resident Geeno Antony who ran 272.89 km continuously in the 24-Hour Asia & Oceania Championship organised by the International Association of Ultrarunning at Hirosaki in Japan on May 23 and 24.
Competing in the Men’s Individual Podium Sweep, he was the only Malayali in the Indian team there. “Running for this long is not an unattainable task for anyone. Though we might feel our body is getting weaker by every second, we can overcome that feeling if we have the right mindset,” Geeno said.
The 33-year-old athlete, who has been competing in ultrarunning events for the past six years, believes everyone will taste success at the right time.
Striding through hardships
Son of a deaf-mute couple, Geeno was never fascinated by the usual 100m race but the long marathon events piqued his interest from his school days, and even took part in a 21-km marathon while he was in Class 10. But challenges were many before him, including his family’s financial status, which ultimately made him choose the Army as a career in his late teenage years. Joining the force in Bhopal, in the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering division, he has been serving in the Army since 2011.
Though he did not join the force through the sports quota, fitness had always been his priority.
“At the time, I believed that people won’t be able to maintain fitness after their 30s, and hence, never wanted to be such a person. With running as my passion, I used whatever free time I got, along with playing other sports including hockey and handball,” he said.
One of his senior officers, Charles, motivated him to pursue marathon in 2018, which later evolved into his interest in ultrarunning.
New terrain, same passion
Geeno’s practice durations for the recent championship were gradually increased to 12 hours, in a span of two weeks.
“There were days when I ran 100 km in training and then joined duty the same day. The practice time may vary, from 8pm to 3am or 6am to 6pm, according to my work schedule.”
While training comprises continuous running, increasing strength is also a key aim, and that gives a fresh start to every new session.
While the race is designed as a loop of 1.5 km, which the athletes have to run for the whole day, they are also trained on how to get hold of their essential refreshments while taking part in a race and to consume them without losing out on the track.
Besides the intake of the right amount of carbohydrates, electrolytes and water at the right intervals while moving on the track, Geeno believes that ultrarunning is more about consistency rather than any last-minute surprises.
“During practice sessions, we will get an idea of what our body requires for a particular length of run,” he said.
In 2025, Geeno had emerged 10th in the 24-hour World Ultrarunning Championship, by running 265 kilometres.
“This 272 is my best performance in a 24-hour run,” he said, looking forward to many more of these endurance races.
What is ultrarunning?
Any footrace longer than the standard marathon distance of 42 km is termed an ultramarathon or ultrarunning.
There are only two formats in the international space — 24-hour and 100-km races.