1st Ultra Run – THE BORDER RACE
I planned and trained for my first ultra run — The Border Race at Jaisalmer on 6th December 2025.
Training was good. I planned to travel to Jaisalmer on 5th Dec, after attending my best friend's wedding at Patna on 4th Dec. Everything was well planned; all bookings were made appropriately.
But…
On 3rd December, I got a message from my airline Indigo that my flight from Bengaluru to Patna stood cancelled, and they could only provide an alternative flight on 5th December.
I tried booking with a different airline, but by that time the only other flight to Patna was sold out. I felt bad because I would be missing my best friend’s wedding.
By this time it was all over the news that Indigo would be cancelling more flights in the coming days. So I cancelled my 5th December tickets from Patna to Jaisalmer.
And I purchased direct tickets from Bengaluru to Jaisalmer; unfortunately, the only airline on that sector was Indigo. Given the evolving situation and the risk of cancellation, I still took the plunge.
I was very clear that I had to get to Jaisalmer for my run.
4th December
Left for the airport on time. At the check-in counter I was told that our flight from Bengaluru to Jaisalmer too stood cancelled.
I was filled with anger and disappointment; while at the back of my mind, the fear of missing my run was boiling up.
The airline staff asked me to go to a different desk. And there I met a few fellow runners. Everyone there looked helpless, angry, and disappointed.
“Jai sir” joined us a few minutes later, after coming back from the boarding gate upon realising that the flight had been cancelled. He was running the 100 KM race.
Moments later he joined us and he changed all of us.
He was still very positive, hopeful, and excited; telling everyone:
“Don’t you all worry!!! We all will run together.”
We started thinking about Plan B.
Plan B involved reaching Rajasthan first by air; then covering the rest by road.
After multiple discussions, we all (8 runners + 3 family members = 11 people) booked another flight — my third flight for 4th December.
Bengaluru → Jaipur — this time also Indigo, but this flight flew on time.
We were very, very excited and happy while boarding the flight.
We landed at Jaipur on time. It felt like the Jaipur Airport was expecting our landing that day.
After a quick carbs-packed dinner, we boarded our road transport by 7:30 PM for a long 650 KM journey.
What was supposed to be a 2 hour 40 minute flight from Bengaluru to Jaisalmer…
…became 1 flight (different) + 12 hours of road travel to reach Jaisalmer for our run.
Finally, on the morning of 5th December at 7 AM, we reached the golden city — Jaisalmer.
It looked beautiful; there was silence in the air as the city was still waking up.
The weather was chilly, and we were all super happy and finally relaxed to have arrived at our destination more than 24 hours in advance.
During noon, I did a quick and short tour of the Jaisalmer Fort.
Now it was time to collect my BIB number 50024 and attend the race briefing in the evening.
That night, I slept properly knowing for sure that I would be running tomorrow after a proper rest.
6th December – RACE DAY
Everything was packed and prepped for my run:
The run started on time at 12 noon — yes, you read it right — right when the sun is on your head, that too in the heart of the Thar Desert.
First 10 KMs
The first 10 KMs were good. Weather was on my side. By the end of this stretch, we have said a proper goodbye to the city and entered the wilderness of the Thar Desert.
All we could see around was sand, bushes, windmills, and sheep — and this view was going to stay for the next 40 KMs.
Next 20 KMs
The next 20 KMs came slower. I intentionally slowed down because the wind had stopped, and I was respecting the Sun.
If I pushed without proper planning, the desert wouldn’t be kind — it would punish in the harshest way.
Race organisers provided aid stations every 10 KMs.
By the time I reached 30 KM, it was around 4 PM. The wind started flowing again, the Sun was nearing the horizon, and the weather suddenly became pleasant.
By this point, I had developed a bad blister right in the middle of my left foot because a silica cap had slipped from one of my toes. At 30 KM, I cleaned it and started running again.
The blister was more painful while walking instead of running.
So I kept running because:
“Stopping was not an option.”
40 KM Mark
By the time I reached 40 KM, I realised that the pain from the blister had gone somewhere. After fuelling up and restocking my hydration pack, I started running my last 10 KM.
The sun was setting, views were beautiful; I hadn't seen such sunsets recently.
Around 42 KM, I actually stopped running to capture those views:
Last 5 KMs
The last 5 KMs were good. I met lots of folks doing either 100 KM or 100 miles.
I gave them my best wishes — they had a long night of running ahead.
Taking inspiration from all those amazing runners, I pushed through my last kilometres and finished strong.
Some more result photos:
Reflections
This run connected me with some truly amazing and strong people.
Made new friends.
Realised that I am again just scratching the surface of ultra running.
I have promised myself to be more regular and disciplined in my training so that I can run Khardung La Challenge and the 100 KM Border Race next year.
The Border Race is a very well-organised race. Kudos to the entire organising team.
“कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।”
(You have the right to perform your actions, but not to the fruits thereof.)