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We at Dumbelled.com had the privilege of interviewing a couple that are a local fitness phenomenon. These two are well-known by the terrific name of “The Ultra Couple”, a title they gained by becoming the only couple in India to have completed the 100 km Bangalore Ultra Marathon together.
Sunil Shetty, aged 51, and Sangeeta Shetty, who is 46, are an endearing couple who have been training together for almost a decade and married for twice as long. Their tremendous love for running and for each other is a source of inspiration for both individuals and families in their neighbourhood to take up running. We couldn’t wait to know them better and begin our interview!
Running a 100 km is quite a challenge for most seasoned runners. Have you always been avid runners or is it a passion you found later in life?
Sunil: In our youth both Sangeeta and I were quite fit. In fact I enjoyed playing various sports through school and college. As I began my professional career, I found my priorities rearranged and little time to spare for my fitness. The combination of a sedentary lifestyle and quick restaurant meals that working professionals often resort to meant I slowly but surely gained weight. In the year 2003 I stepped on a weighing scale and to my dismay found that I weighed 88 kilos, my personal highest! I took to running as an effort to curb my weight.
Sangeeta: I have always been a fit healthy individual. In my younger days I was a key member of the college basketball team, and I enjoyed playing badminton and table tennis for the college as well. I took to running as I was inspired by Sunil’s commitment toward his weight loss goal. It was a decision I took to spend more time with my husband even if it meant in a gym.
Sunil can you share your weight loss story with us? What was your workout schedule like?
Sunil: Well as I said I was unhappy with my weight and decided to jog on the treadmill. I started with 6 to 7 km on average almost daily, and within 2 months I could see a difference. As time progressed I became more comfortable running and increased the amount of effort; eventually, within 15 months, I had lost 24 kilos. I never used the gym for any other purpose and to this day do not go to the gym to work out with weights or machines.
Sunil, who now looks like a Professional Athlete
How did you start road running and taking part in marathons?
Sunil: In 2009 I decided to sign up for the Standard Chartered Mumbai Half Marathon. This was the first marathon or running event I had taken part in. I began the road-running to prepare myself for the event.
Was bringing about this change in your running style easy?
Sunil: The 2009 half marathon was more challenging than I had expected. I was not an avid runner at this point in time and had little knowledge of how to prepare for the event. I felt fatigued and was forced to walk the last 6 km or so of the marathon. I vowed never to run a half marathon again!
Despite this you continue running and even your wife began running in marathons. What kept you interested in running?
Sunil: I enjoyed running and the benefits it had on my health. For my wife and I this was a means of spending precious time together.
Sangeeta: I saw the immense physical change in Sunil and desired to get in shape and so I began joining him for his morning runs in the gym. Of course this was also a nice way to have some time together.
And you decided to run a marathon together?
Sunil: As I said I did not want to run a half marathon so I signed up for the 2010 Full Mumbai Marathon.
Sangeeta: I signed up but for the half marathon as I was not ready to run a full marathon yet
Sunil, still in his slippers, and Sangeeta being Felicitaed after The Bangalore Ultra.
Sunil: Even until this point I was not what I could consider a serious runner. I ran, at most, 16 or maybe 17 km at a time.
Sangeeta: As I was training for the half marathon I continued my regular sessions of 7 to 10 km.
How was the experience of your first marathon Sangeeta?
Sangeeta: I was hooked right away; the rush experienced from completing my first marathon was rejuvenating. I vowed to keep running.
Sunil: Yes in fact it was only after this event that we truly got sucked into the culture of running. We began training with the next Mumbai Marathon as our goal; we researched on the internet on how to better our running. We devised training plans and tracked our daily mileage. We had become passionate runners by now!
How did you progress to ultra marathons?
Sangeeta: We had decided to run the 75 km segment of the 2012 Bangalore Ultra marathon. We began training with this goal in mind. We slowly and steadily increased our daily mileage, and we tracked the progress of your runs in journals. It seemed the like a natural step in order to go forward with our running.
Tell us about the experience and any memories you have of completing the 100km Ultra marathon in Bangalore 2013?
Sunil: The route is on a dirt trail through some very scenic locations including bamboo forests, but Bangalore’s rains had made the trail a bit mucky. Sangeeta and I do not keep the same pace through entire marathons but we like to begin together. At the very beginning Sangeeta fell and bruised her knee, and this meant we both lost time tending to her injury.
Sangeeta, running and still smiling
In spite of this setback Sangeeta, you were the only woman to complete the 100km in the stipulated time of 17 hours. What pushed you to keep going?
Sangeeta: Well, to let a small bruise stop me from running a race for which I had prepared for months in advance made no sense. Sunil, who had completed the 100 km before me, took the effort of filling flasks of coffee and bringing them out to me as I completed the distance. What is really touching about this gesture is that the rains had completely ruined Sunil’s shoe but he still ran out in his slippers as he promised he would do so! The mental fortitude I possessed from the training and that I gained from Sunil’s presence kept me going.
That is a truly endearing story. Has running brought you closer together as a couple and as a family?
Sunil and Sangeeta with Dumbelled.com coach Daniel Vaz and friends
Both: Yes!
Sunil: Having your spouse as a training partner gives you the advantage of being together for long periods of time. We enjoy running together and eating out at restaurants after a long run especially around south Mumbai; we are lucky to be able to spend so much time together. Our daughter too has been taking to training as she prepares herself for her first marathon event – the half marathon at the Standard Chartered Mumbai marathon.
Sangeeta: In fact we have even developed a separate social circle around our love for running. We have several friends who we met through running, and we enjoy going for runs with them. We try our best to push our friends to also take up running for their health. Several of our friends who live in the vicinity have taken up running as they saw our progress.
The Mumbai Marathon stood no chance against these two.
What is the next challenge you have set for yourself? What is the one event you would like to run in?
Sunil: The Run of Kutch is an event we have been keen to attend and so too the Surat Night Marathon. Though the latter is a half marathon, it is one of the few night marathons in India, so I am keen to attend.
Your success as distance runners has led you to become local icons; are you enjoying this new found recognition?
(Both laugh)
Sunil: We don’t look at ourselves or our lives any differently. We enjoy the acclaim that running has brought us but we run for the love of running.
(Upon further probing by Dumbelled.com) We were recently asked to be the chief guests at local school sports day, and we thoroughly enjoyed the event. There were several adorable kids at the event who competed amongst each other in several games and sports. It was heart warming and we were honoured to be given the privilege.
Sunil and Sangeeta at a local School Sports Day.
You have inspired your friends and family to run. What advice would you like to dispense to amateur runners?
Sunil: The running culture is slowly but surely gaining a foothold in our nation. I find that novice runners are taking part in marathons with little or no training and expecting to perform like athletes. On weekends, Marine lines and the Queen’s Necklace are so populated with runners that we are often asked if a marathon is currently underway by baffled tourists and locals alike.
To prevent fatigue and injury start small; begin training with a fixed personal plan and goal. Be patient while running and while expecting the results from your effort. The reason we are successful is because we do not run for pace, we run for time.
Sangeeta: I would like to remind novice runners, especially women, to start small and then add to your distance. Begin with 5 kilometres if you must and increase the distance as you find yourself capable; this will lead to a steady improvement in your running ability.
What more can we say about Sunil And Sangeeta? A true gentleman and lady who happen to be loving parents, local heroes, and iron minded runners. We thank and salute you for inspiring us and others alike.
