Evecare • Vol 11 • No. 2 • Sep–Dec 2023 20 Mahasweta Ghosh’s Trail in the 37th Marathon des Sables Finishing Off With Zeal—A Marathoner’s Journey Superwoman Here is the story of Mahasweta Ghosh’s conquest of the Marathon des Sables. Mahasweta Ghosh is a 44-year-old marketing professional and a long-distance runner, hailing from Durgapur (West Bengal, India) and currently living in Gurugram (Haryana, India). For Mahasweta, walking and running began as a physical activity to lose weight. A friend signed her up for a 21-km run in 2012. Mahasweta’s ability to complete the race in about 2 hours, 15 minutes kick-started her adrenaline-pumped journey toward becoming one of the most celebrated marathoners in India. Since the success of her first marathon, Mahasweta has been unstoppable. She continues to train religiously and participates in various marathons across the world. She believes that running is 25% about the sport and 75% about other factors such as training, type of shoes, strength, mobility, agility, food intake, body, and gut health. In addition to maintaining physical health, Mahasweta runs to balance her emotional, intellectual, and psychological health. She says, this sport teaches the resilience and discipline needed to survive a fast-paced life. Mahasweta has completed over 50 races (including 3 world majors, international marathons, solo runs, and ultra and trail runs) till date. The passion for running and the thirst for adventure fueled her grit to compete in the Marathon des Sables. The Marathon des Sables Trail Running in the Marathon des Sables was Mahasweta’s dream ever since she completed the 75-km Pokhran (India) desert run in 2018. When the right opportunity struck, she registered for the Marathon des Sables, and started training from December 2022. The groundwork Being a self-supported race, Marathon des Sables requires one to carry all the necessary items without overloading the carry-on bag. The carry-on bag would usually be equipped with food for 7 days (2000 calories/day), sleeping gear, sufficient hydration, a medical kit, a walking stick, and 1 to 2 set(s) of clothing. The bag Mahasweta carried throughout the marathon weighed around 11.5 kg. It is difficult to imagine how racing for 250 km with 11.5 kg weight, in the harsh conditions of the Sahara Desert is possible, but Mahasweta has made it look feasible. Steering through the des Sables The 37th edition of Marathon des Sables commenced on April 23, 2023, from Ouarzazate, Morocco. The marathon had 11,050 participants, and Mahasweta was the sole participant from India. Details of the race were disclosed only after the participants arrived at the event. Each of the 6 laps of the Marathon des Sables had a specific closing time, and the participants had to reach each checkpoint as specified. The event also had a big group of volunteers at the bivouacs for assisting the participants. Image source: https://www.magzter.com/stories/newspaper/Mint-Mumbai/ LESSONS-FROM-RUNNING-A-BRUTAL-MARATHON-IN-THE-SAHARA Marathon des Sables is an arduous, endurance-testing ultramarathon that unfolds in 6 laps across 6 days in the sweltering Sahara Desert. It is thus classified as one of the toughest footraces in the world!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAwNDg=