Mahasweta Ghosh, a 44-year-old lady, became the only Indian female contestant who finished this difficult Marathon Des Sable last month. Continue reading to learn more about her.
Mahasweta Ghosh’s Inspiration
After completing a 75-kilometer desert marathon in Rajasthan’s Pokhran and viewing the Netflix series Losers,’ Mahasweta Ghosh concluded she enjoyed the sand surroundings. Later, Mahasweta was motivated by a friend to start running in 2012 to lose weight, and it quickly became a passion for her. It inspired her to take on the ultimate challenge: the Marathon des Sables (MDS), considered the most challenging marathon in the world.
Bengal’s daughter runs Marathon Des Sables, hopes to see women take up running as a career, urges for govt support#saralbharatnews #MarathonDesSables #MahaswetaGhosh #marathon pic.twitter.com/WhWVOmkiW9
— Saral Bharat News (@saralbharatnews) June 9, 2023
Mahasweta finished over 50 events, including three world majors, international marathons, ultramarathons, and trail runs (a 75-kilometer desert run in Pokhran and a 100-kilometer solo run during the pandemic). Ghosh became the first Indian woman to run the marathon in May of this year, clocking in at 55 hours and 42 minutes.
“I heard of this race through a friend in 2019. A few things intrigued me: the format and the fact that you live in the desert and the wild. I had not done anything like it before,” she says.
As a 44-year-old woman, she is the only Indian female athlete who finished the 250-kilometer Sahara marathon in Morocco last month. What’s next for the ace runner? “Preparing to run for Berlin next,” Mahasweta Ghosh stated with a smile to ANI.
Ghosh has previously trained to run a maximum distance of 100 km without resting. What had changed this time was how she tracked her weekly distance. She completed many lengthy runs on consecutive days, including three back-to-back 30km stretches. Her shorter runs ranged from 18 to 20 km during the same week.
Mahasweta Ghosh Occupation
Ghosh would focus on strength training and mobility drills 4-5 days per week in addition to running. And, with a full-time day job as a technology marketer, recovery and fueling were just as important as training.
Each run would conclude with foam rolling or resistance band exercises followed by an ice bath. A masseuse and a physiotherapist would see her at the end of each week’s program. She also eats simple, clean foods and aims to consume approximately 1,200 calories each day. She eats a gluten-free diet and fasts intermittently.
Marathon des Sables
The Marathon Des Sables (MDS), also known as the Marathon of the Sands, is a six-day, 250-kilometer ultramarathon that is believed to be the equivalent of six regular marathons. It is one of the most challenging races in the world, with one of the highest rates of attrition. MDS athletes must run in temperatures that can reach 40 degrees Celsius. The Sahara desert’s landscape is similarly harsh, with steep mountains, strong sandstorms, and towering sandy dunes. There is no network or connectivity in MDS. Thus each participant must be self-sufficient and prepared to carry their food and baggage throughout the 7-day race.
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