From Labs To Long Runs: Meet The IIIT-H Faculty Who Are Owning Their Stride

Profs. Sujit Gujar, Naresh Manwani, Praful Mankar and Vinod P.K might seem like they have changed tracks as they talk about fitness, endurance, sense of community and why running is the perfect excuse for waking up at 4 am every Sunday. But completing one of the world’s highest and toughest running events, the Ladakh Marathon has been just another feather in their ‘laps’.

When Prof. Sujit Gujar was playing soccer dad to his son, little did he know that his way of killing time would lead to a 42km run at 3,500 metres above sea level. “I had to drop him off at the Gachibowli stadium at 6am and return for the pickup an hour later. Instead of making two trips, inspired by the people running on the tracks, I decided to spend my hour there instead,” he remarks. Of course, the initial attempts were modest. He could barely manage a kilometre, which led him to wonder how people ran long distances. Curiosity turned into motivation and he ran his first half marathon at the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon in 2023. 

It was a similar exploratory jog while waiting around at the stadium for his daughter to complete her badminton coaching that found Prof. Vinod PK running 10Ks and then half marathons. “The faculty runners’ group expanded and kept the motivation high, and every Sunday became something to look forward to,” he says, adding that he never seriously thought about running a full marathon even though everyone around him kept urging him to try. “Eventually, I decided to take that step, and this year I completed my first full marathon in Hyderabad (NMDC).”

For Prof. Naresh Manwani, the journey has been a tad longer. As part of his fitness routine, he frequented the gym often where he ran on the treadmill. Later, he joined a local apartment running group where running 3 kms was the norm. “I had never run anything more than that distance,” he admits. So when he ran the entire distance of 5km without a break at the IIIT-H 5K run, the achievement, albeit small brought the realisation that longer distances weren’t impossible after all. In Prof. Praful Mankar’s case, it was while volunteering and handing out water at the IIIT-H-sponsored SAG station during the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon that he was struck by the jubilant atmosphere – runners on the last stretch, tired, some obviously in pain and yet euphoric to have made it. “I thought I’ll give running a try too,” he says about his impulsive decision. From never having run before, he ran his first half marathon in a record 3 months time. 

Gait Expectations
According to Prof. Sujit, much of his running evolution has been possible thanks to Mayank Gupta, who is the spouse of an IIIT-H staffer. In fact it was Mayank who introduced him to the Skechers Running Club which meets 3 days a week at the Botanical Gardens. It includes strength training sessions too designed specifically for runners. “Running, we realised, isn’t just about strong legs,” says Prof. Sujit, adding, “The core, shoulders, hips and muscles around the knees all play a role. Strength training helps activate and condition muscles that aren’t necessarily exercised by everyday walking.” But then strength isn’t enough either. Endurance is key. The training therefore is a combination of strengthening exercises along with different kinds of running – slow aerobic runs, tempo runs, intervals, hill runs and long-distance sessions. Along the way, the group also began learning a surprising amount of Biology. Terms like quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, IT band and so on became commonplace. “I had never heard of all these muscles. And now, I’m paying so much attention to them,” smiles Prof. Sujit. Prof. Naresh says that the difference made by the strength training sessions was immediately palpable. “Before that, even my short runs would leave me with calf and back pain”. 

90% Mental, 10% Physical
There is an unwritten rite of passage that every runner goes through: Once you are comfortably cruising through weekly small distance runs, signing up for a half marathon is the next step. And when the 21K has been achieved, the next question is inevitable: Can we do the 42K? Prof. Sujit had completed his first full marathon in Hyderabad in 2024 and knew he could do it. The others in the group gradually began crossing the 30-km mark repeatedly in training, preparing themselves for the point in a marathon when fatigue typically sets in. They eventually pushed their training distance to 36 and 37 kilometres. “The logic is simple: if you have already run 37, then the final five kilometres of a marathon don’t seem quite so frightening,” explains Prof. Sujit. In 2025, after completing a full marathon in Ahmedabad, the group began to seriously toy with the idea of running a full in Ladakh. “We were witness to a celebratory ceremony for some runners who had successfully completed the Ladakh marathon. Since we had gained the confidence of running 42 kms by then, we thought, why not give it a shot too. We checked with our running coach, Shiva – an ultra marathoner himself – who not only gave us the go-ahead but also chalked out personalized plans for each of us,” narrates Prof. Sujit. 

GroundJog Day
The running coach’s wise words, “Every race is a race against the clock, but in Ladakh, it’s a race against altitude”, rang true for the faculty. The Ladakh Marathon takes place at roughly 3,500 metres, where the lower oxygen availability changes how the body responds to exercise. In order to acclimatise, the group arrived a week before race day. The first day was deliberately slow. Even walking a few hundred metres felt like running several kilometres. Their training in Hyderabad had included uphill sprints and nasal-breathing runs to prepare them as much as possible. But nothing could completely reproduce the experience of actually running at altitude. Prof. Praful faced a challenge even before the race could officially start. On day 2 of arriving in Leh, he developed acute mountain sickness. Unable to keep down food or even water, he was severely dehydrated and required a hospital visit. “The marathon definitely seemed impossible and I wondered if I would have to return home without attempting it,” he says wryly. However the medical treatment worked and he made a quick recovery – well enough to take on D-Day. 

Ask about hitting the proverbial “wall” and the answer is in the negative thanks to multiple training runs of over 30 kms. What about laboured breathing? “At that high altitude, the issue isn’t necessarily breathlessness,” says Prof. Praful. Their problem instead was that of low energy. After 30 km, running became increasingly difficult. They began alternating running with stretches of walking particularly on the final, uphill section. Their realisation was that the body’s requirements in the hills were very different from that in the plains. In hindsight, he says they should have had more frequent carbohydrate intake in the form of gels than what had been originally strategised. According to Prof. Sujit, it is a known fact that one gives their all on race day. But while he had trained and was prepared to run at a heart rate of 160-65, he found that he couldn’t sustain his pace at that rate. “I had to slow down a bit,” he says. Prof. Vinod ran a half marathon here. For him, Ladakh is special because it taught him to respect his limits. “When I realised I couldn’t run at my usual pace, I adapted. I was surprised to find myself thinking towards the end, maybe I could have run a full marathon here! That experience taught me our limits are not where we think they are.” 

Miles and Smiles
As a race known for its ‘Zero Single Use Plastic’ policy, the Ladakh Marathon encourages runners to carry their personal hydration gear and manage their own trash. According to Prof. Naresh, this requirement posed no problem at all since they brought along their own personal bottles which they refilled at aid stations at regular intervals. “Additionally, since the route passes through some scenic villages outside Ladakh, every 3 kms, we found villagers cheering us on, handing out cut fruit and water. There were traditional folk dances to witness en route, small children joining in and the entire atmosphere was very festive,” he reports. 

One Km At A Time
For someone who has witnessed his health parameters improve when he embarked upon long distance running, Prof. Sujit is understandably a vocal advocate for running as a recreational sport. He points out how running has helped them connect to a larger community of runners. “Hyderabad’s running culture with well-organised Sunday long runs and support from the Hyderabad Runners group has made it easier for us to run consistently,” he says. He also mentions that the running culture around IIIT-H is growing too, with students increasingly taking up the sport. The institute’s involvement extends beyond mere running though. “IIIT-H has supported aid stations at races, especially Hyderabad’s flagship event, the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon while faculty families have volunteered alongside the runners,” he reports. 

In Prof. Praful’s case, his impulse to begin running worked out for the best. As a chronic sufferer of acidity which was taking a toll on his health and everyday activities, within a short span of 3 months, he observed positive effects of running. “In six months, all my acidity-related problems had vanished,” he exclaims, adding that it was a total lifestyle change of discipline that brought about the desired effects: earlier bedtimes, consistent early risings and nutritious home-cooked meals. He adds that another driving force behind his interest in running stems from being an older father of a toddler. “In 20 years time, I don’t want to be a burden on my child as a result of failing health, especially at a time when she would just be embarking on her own career and taking wing.” As someone who admits to sitting most of the time in front of the computer, Prof. Vinod says, “Running has made me more active, helped me lose weight (which raised concerns!), think about my eating habits and brought a certain positivity and discipline into my everyday life. It has influenced my family too. We encourage each other to stay active, and among friends as well, there is always someone pushing you to do a little more. That social and emotional connection is something I value a lot. In some ways, the energy from running also carries into work.” 

The Next Finish Line
With Ladakh behind them, there are many other options on the horizon. There is talk of trail runs and even the possibility of triathlons. “The Singhad Half Marathon is another gruelling hill run we’re considering,” remarks Prof. Sujit. But none of them is aspiring to be an elite runner or chasing timing. The motivation is just to stay healthy, keep moving and ultimately enjoy the experience. In fact their advice to anyone wishing to embark upon running is the same: Don’t chase speed. Start small. Build strength, stamina and give it time. The rest will follow.