Long distance runner Raj Vadgama completed his 10,000 km run in Mumbai on Monday.
Long distance runner Raj Vadgama reached the Gateway of India in Mumbai on Monday morning, completing a run that took him five-and-a-half months to complete, covering 10000 km across the country. He had begun his run from the same spot on Independence Day last year, and ran through 70 cities in 17 states. The idea of the expansive run, which he calls 'Bharathon', was to pread the message of unity.
Mr Vadgama's aim was to start the run on Independence Day and finish on Republic Day. "I've worked out for eight to nine hours on a daily basis. My idea was to start this journey on 15th August and complete it by 26th January. Republic Day and Independence Day are such days that no matter what happens people of India will always remember and celebrate these days," he said, after completing his run.
The 47-year-old interior decorator is an accomplished runner. In 2011, Mr Vadgama ran from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, a distance of 500 km, with actor Milind Soman, for NDTV's Greenathon, a campaign to light up India's villages.
"I had started at Gateway of India, Bombay. I've ran in many states - Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttaranchal, Orissa, Kolkata, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana," he said.
Mr Vadgama, who has trained in martial arts, had aimed to run 83 km every day. But, health issues got in the way of this goal. He has missed the record, but through his feat he has covered a large part of the country, and become an inspiration for other long distance runners.