I started training for The Burj back in October. It was part of my bigger goal, and a
milestone check before the final showdown in April. I am grateful to the almighty that
this race went even better than I expected. The Burj features a massive elevation gain
of 3100m+ over 50 KM and an unforgivingly hot climate. Because I was able to pull off considerably fast time, I avoided the hot weather to some extent.
I finished the 50 KM race in 7:52:12 taking second place overall. Funnily enough, I was
“just” one hour behind the winner, Nilesh Kulaye, who crossed the line in 6:56. Yes, I still have the guts to call my race time fast
Training –
Throughout my training, I focused primarily on gaining 2000M+ of elevation per week, with few weeks reaching close to 2800M as well. Out of this, 500-600 M came from my easy runs and interval sessions, and the remaining gain was covered in a dedicated hiking session. Most of these hikes were repeat climbs of Sinhagad Fort, usually lasting between 3.5 and 5 hours at an easy to moderate effort. For more details about my training, you may read my monthly blogs below –
Target-
Before registering for this event, I checked the previous years’ results and saw that Nilesh ran it in 7:57 in 2025 and in 7:12 in 2024. So, I thought that if my training went as planned, Ii could achieve something in between 7:35 and 7:45 hrs. For two months everything stayed pn track, but things went a bit off in the third month. Thankfully, I was fully ready on the race day. But I had adjusted my race time a bit. I stood at the start line with a target of 8:15 to 8:20 hrs.
The Race-
Learning from the Matheran 27KM race, I made up my mind that except for the uphills, I would not go beyond zone 3 until I cross 35KM mark. After that, I will go as my body allowed. I stuck to this plan religiously.
I started the race at a conservative pace, hiking the climb easily and making up ground on the downhills. The first 1.5 hours were in the dark, so was extra cautious, constantly checking the course marking and the route on my watch. The marking was perfect, and even in the dark I could easily spot the next marker.
After one hour, I had covered 7KM. After the end of the second hour, I was at 14 th KM. I started to calculate my finish time, and this Arithmetic Progression looked promising – it was projecting a finish time of 7:10. I was mindful of the fact that I would eventually slow down, especially during the sections with high elevation gain. But I tried to maintain the same tempo and covered another 7 KMs in by the end of third hour. This was a big motivator.
After this, I realized I was putting extra effort into maintaining the same pace because of the continuous bigger climbs. An effort that I would not be able to maintain after another 2 hours when I would need it the most. So, I dropped my pace to match my effort of zone 3. It meant that I would now cover close to 6 KM per hour. Sounds like crawling, right? Well, not in the hills. Meanwhile, my mind was continuously recalculating the new finish time after every passing KM. Deep down, I was hoping that once this high elevation section ended, I would be able to pick up the pace again during the final 14-15 KM. I kept my patience during the downhills and any flattish section, opening up my stride wherever I could.
When the time did come to open my legs, it also brought the uninvited guest along with it.
The Game of Cramps –
At 30 th KM mark, my thighs whispered something and I chose to ignore it. I knew what was coming. It was inevitable. By 35 th KM I could feel the cramps in all their might. I also knew my calves would soon come under attack; I wanted to delay that as long as possible. I kept my effort under control while steadily sipping water and energy drink.
By chance, I had packed dried black grapes (Draaksh) as part of my race nutrition. To change the taste, I had a few of them. After one minute or so, I noticed that there were no cramps in my legs. I ran comfortably for the next 15-20 mins. When the sensation returned, I had another handful of Draaksh. This became a go-to fix and it worked until I finished the whole packet. After that, I was on my own.
The Final Stretch -
By this time, I had covered around 47KM, but I still had one big climb to cross at 48 th KM mark. This was the only climb where I felt drained and completely out of energy. After crossing it, I still had a chance to finish under 7:50, but the moment I tried to pick up the pace, the calves pulled me back. I had enough water to pour on my legs, hoping that it would help, but that wasn’t enough. So, I let my body dictate the pace for the final KM. I crossed the finish line in 7:52:12 feeling extremely happy and content.
Race Day Nutrition –
I used 4 sachets of Steadfast Snergy mixing each one in a 500ml flask along with salt. Each one provides 160 calories.
Used 9 Unived gels of 100 calories each. I mixed 8 gels in two 250 ML flasks, added water and salt to both, and sipped at regular intervals. This was advised by my big brother Mr Hemant Beniwal, along with other nutrition and training plan, and it worked extremely well.
I kept eating dates every 20 minutes during the initial 3 hours. I knew I wouldn’t feel like eating during the end of the race, so I wanted to utilize them early on.
I had Draksh in the last 18KMs. I knew they provide instant energy, but their role quickly changed to Cramp Preventor as soon as I had them for the first time.
One or two bites of banana at the aid stations and water at regular intervals.
If you liked this race report, then you will definitely love my team’s experience during the Adventure Race in Mechukha.
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