After participating in 14 marathons in Bombay, Ervad Aspi Rao set his sights higher and participated in the Ladakh Marathon on September 10, 2017. Completing the seven-kilometer "Run and Fun” event in 53 minutes, he was awarded two medals, one for completing the race, and the second for being the first among senior citizens, states Rao who had celebrated his 64th birthday the prior day. The other events included in "the world’s highest” Marathon were the 21 km half marathon, 42 km full marathon and 72 km Khardung-la challenge.
Ervad Aspi Rao (left) was presented two medals at the Ladakh Marathon
Rao completed the seven kilometer "Run and Fun" event
There were 6,000 participants from 27 countries at the sixth Ladakh Marathon, according to a news report in Greater Jammu of September 11 that stated, "Both national and international runners participated in the Marathon that tests endurance as it is held at a high altitude (11,500 ft) where oxygen level gets low… Ladakh Marathon is amongst the toughest marathons.” Participants hailing from the mountainous terrain and used to cooler climes have a head start over other competitors, observed Rao.
Before the chest bibs were distributed, the participants were screened for vital signs to ensure their oxygen levels and pulse rate were normal. A full-time practicing priest affiliated to the Sethna Agiary in Bombay for the last several decades, Rao went to Ladakh 16 days ahead of the event to acclimatize himself. The self-trained athlete would run over two kilometers on undulating topography every alternate day taking care to rest his body two days prior to the event. Although he had practised uphill running at Bombay’s Malabar Hill weeks ahead, running in the rarefied atmosphere of Ladakh was a different experience, says the runner who soon learnt the importance of hydrating himself with water. For a Bombayite who ran his first Mumbai Marathon in 2008, the seven-kilometer distance in Ladakh was actually "not a fun run,” as the 3.5 km stretch of uphill run took "my breath away.”
Rao was in the corporate sector for 34 years, having worked for seven years with Air India, and for 27 years with Scindia Steam Navigation before he took up mobedi as a full-time profession. Besides his religious duties he also serves as a personal trainer (see "Marathon strides,” Sports, Parsiana, June 7, 2010).