Ultra-marathon
So, you’ve just finished a marathon for a cause célèbre and feel smug about it. Next time, try an ultra-marathon. Considered the ultimate test of endurance, ultra-marathon is a racing event that is longer than the traditional marathon (42 km). Most common distances are 50 km, 100 km and 160 km. There are also 24-hour races and multi-day races of 1,600 km or even longer that take running to an altogether new level. Here’s a selection of ultra-marathons for which you can register in 2013. Warning: Do not sign up unprepared and gear up for the event at least three months in advance. You should be able to go for long runs. Most ultra-marathons have qualifying criteria.
The Taj Mahal Marathon
When: June 14-June 16, 2013
Distance: 222 km
Route: Taj Mahal (Agra) to India Gate (New Delhi)
Also Read
Quick fact: Make sure you can run on roads with traffic in the June heat when temperatures can go up to 48 degrees Celsius.
For details: https://bsmedia.business-standard.comendurance india.wordpress.com/
Annapurna 100 (Nepal)
When: March 9, 2013
Distance: 50 km, 70 km and 100 km. You can change your mind about the distance you choose to run depending on how you feel during the marathon.
Route: The course heads out of Dhampus, a mountain village close to Pokhara, which is a nine-hour drive from Kathmandu. The three routes combine off-the-beaten track routes with popular trekking trails and share a highest point of 3,680 metres. All three routes finish in Dhampus after ups and downs on a combination of technical tracks, trekking trails and some jeep roads, through forests and many villages.
Quick fact: Part of the trail entails easy running, but some of it can get quite “technical”. So, you’ll need to remain focused and slow down if you feel you’re losing control.
For details: http://annapurna100.com/
Gobi March (China)
When: June 2, 2013
Distance: 250 km
Route: In its 10th edition, the host city for the 2013 Gobi March is Bole in the Xinjiang Province of China. The course will take runners across various terrains, including grasslands, dirt tracks, dry riverbeds, plains and farmlands. Competitors will trek over hills, through mountain valleys and past local villages.
Quick fact: Temperatures can vary greatly from about 30 degrees Celsius in the day to as low as 0 degrees Celsius at night. Also, since the race is self-supported, competitors are required to carry whatever they need for the seven days on their backs.
For details: http://www.4deserts.com /gobimarch/
If the above ultra-marathons seem too heavy duty and don’t quite gel with your year-end spirit, here’s a marathon that’s expressly devised to please the hedonist in you.
Marathon du Médoc (France)
When: September 7, 2013
Distance: 42 km
Route: The route starts from the town of Pauillac in the famous wine-growing Médoc region of south-west France and takes you through 59 vineyards. The marathon is not so much about speed as it is about drinking wine.
Quick fact: Aid stations in this marathon serve wine (red and white) along with water. What’s more, you’re offered cheese, foie gras and oysters as refreshments.
For details: www.marathon dumedoc.com/
Sea walking
Deep-sea diving is so 2012; if you want to try your hand at an underwater adventure sport in the new year, go for ‘sea walking’. Yes, we’re talking about taking a walk on the smooth sands of the sea floor and explore the marine life complete with colourful corals and an amazing variety of fish. This involves no heavy-duty equipment or training and you don’t even need to know how to swim. Here’s how it works. A heavy framed glass helmet — similar to that used by astronauts — is strapped on to you before you descend onto the seabed. The helmet has an integrated hose that pumps in uninterrupted supply of fresh air. The air pressure prevents water from getting into the helmet while you sea walk. Most sea walks last for about 25 minutes and anyone from age seven to 60 can try them. One of the best places to sea walk in India is the North Bay (Coral) Island, Andamans. Sea Link Adventures — an adventure water sports company based in the archipelago — has a pontoon set up in North Bay, 20 minutes away from Port Blair. “We take our tourists as deep as 25 ft during high tide and the entire sea walking area is cordoned off by shark nets so you can explore the brilliant sea life without worrying about unwanted creatures,” says Satish Kumar, manager at Sea Link Adventures. Once you begin your walk on the sea bed, you can sit and touch underwater life like sea anemones, orange clownfish, starfish and coloured tropical reef fish. Kumar says the walk is absolutely safe since trained and certified guides stay with you throughout. Those suffering with heart ailments and asthma are, however, advised not to try it. The 25-minute walk costs up to Rs 2,700. Sea walking is also prevalent in Bali, Mauritius and Pattaya.
Paragliding and Skydiving
India is fast becoming a paragliding paradise for both novices and ‘high-flyers’. Head to Kamshet in Pune or Bir-Billing in Himachal Pradesh to experience free flight; you can go for a two- to four-day course for beginners that can cost anywhere between Rs 8,000 and Rs 16,000 or take a tandem (where you fly with an experienced pilot).
The next time you want to jump off a plane and skydive, you don’t have to make a trip abroad. New Delhi-based Kakini Enterprises is organising skydiving camps next year in Raigarh in Chhattisgarh (January 12 to 14) and Mysore in Karnataka (February 9 to 14). You can go for a tandem jump (Rs 50,000) where you are tied to the instructor with a harness. The instructor guides the participant through the entire jump — from exit from the plane through free fall, piloting the canopy, and landing.