YDERABAD : The Boston Marathon, an annual marathon held in Boston, US, is gearing up for a start after three whole years. With just one day to go for the race, we speak with Niranjan Raj Bondla, the only Hyderabadi selected to run on Monday.
The 43-year-old has left no stone unturned to prepare for the tough marathon. Running for miles and finding the best way to get to where he wanted to, the nervous runner can’t wait to realise his dream on April 18.
However, Niranjan worked towards the marathon only recently. “Although I have been a fitness enthusiast throughout my life, I started running only towards the end of 2014. I did my first 10K run in November 2014 in Hyderabad, but never had plans to go beyond that distance. Sometime later, I met a Hyderabad runners group and began training with them for my debut half marathon. Having done well, I was inspired by fellow runners to work towards a full marathon (FM),” shares Niranjan.
Despite several obstacles, he was able to finish his first FM in 2017. “The fact that I was able to do it in under four hours brought hope that I could one day crack the Boston Marathon qualifications,” he says. Before he knew it, Niranjan started training harder, but Covid-19 played spoilsport. That, however, didn’t deter him. “I used that time to give my body a break from running and focused on other forms of indoor fitness activities such as yoga and bodyweight exercises. I resumed my training in 2022 and here I am on the verge of running my first-ever Boston Marathon.”
The executive director at Grace Cancer Foundation, an NGO, and father to two boys, credits his brother, ‘a fantastic runner’, as his biggest inspiration to attempt the Boston Marathon. Niranjan is a self-trained athlete, who picks up knowledge and inspiration from his running mates. Sharing how he has been preparing for the run, he says, “I strongly believe in giving my best in everything I do in life, with training for running being no different. Also, I follow utmost discipline when it comes to training and do not let any excuses come in the way from my side. Of course, there’s my job and family, but I am glad to be strong yet flexible enough to overcome any and everything to be consistent with my training.”
He follows the training plan from the book, Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas, which was recommended to him by a runner. You would think a runner would be under a strict, restrictive diet. But he surprises us to say, “I do not follow any particular diet, but I have the habit of vehemently choosing natural foods and homemade meals over processed and restaurant food.”
About being the only one to represent Hyderabad at the prestigious marathon he says, “It feels great, yet I am humble enough to know that there are much better, faster marathoners in Hyderabad and I was just lucky enough to get the right opportunities at the right time.”