BENGALURU: Hit first, hit hard, and keep hitting – victory will be yours.” These words of his father kept ringing in Colonel Jangvir Lamba’s head as he took the uphill task of participating in the 38th edition of the Marathon des Sables, known as the ‘toughest race on Earth’. The race, covering 253.5 km done in various stages in Morocco, deep within the Sahara Desert, saw 52-year-old Lamba emerge victorious.
Despite the sheer difficulty level associated with the ultramarathon – extreme temperatures of 46-52 degrees Celsius, blisters on the feet, resurfacing of old injuries, dropping salt levels, and a general sense of fatigue – Lamba never doubted he would finish the race. He completed the six-stage race in 67 hours and seven minutes, competing against 900 athletes from 60 countries. The race took place in April.
“At no point did the thought of not finishing the race even cross my mind. It’s all about mental resilience that is associated with the endurance sport,” he explains. This mindset likely stems from early advice from his father, advice he adheres to even now. He recalls a time in sixth grade when his father asked him to do push-ups and he could barely manage five or six.
“My father then took charge and over the next few years trained us. By the time I was in Class 11-12, I was doing 500 of them. As I trained, my father would always say ‘one more’. To this day any time I’m pushing myself, I keep telling myself those two golden words,’’ says the fourth-generation Army officer, currently posted at the ASC Centre and College in Bengaluru.
Previously a bodybuilder, Lamba suddenly found his aspirations crushed when he started developing spinal issues in 2019 and was advised to reduce his weight, as his condition could worsen. At that point, he decided to switch to cardio exercises and took on the Ironman (a gruelling race consisting of a 3.9km swim, 180.2 km bike ride, and a 42.2km run) – completing three (Cairns, Australia; Langkawi, Malaysia; and Goa) within just 12 months.
Then, while browsing the internet, he discovered the Marathon des Sables and immediately signed up. “The training itself wasn’t as intense since I had previously been training for the Ironman for which I would start at 2.30am,” he says, adding, “For Marathon des Sables, I only ran 10k every day, sometimes 21 km, with a 10 kg vest as weight.”
Drawing an analogy between life’s challenges and the intense race, Lamba reflects, “There is so much pain one endures during the race but it’s hard to share during that point since everyone is going through their own. It’s the same with life, isn’t it? You can’t always share what you’re going through. This wasn’t just a race, it was a test of endurance and a culmination of training and dedication.”
So, what lies next? “Definitely no race under 100 km!” he signs off.