BY DEEPIKA CHALKE*
Around 25 months after the unofficial Guinness world record of 105 half marathons in 365 days, I reached a heartwarming milestone. Despite an unexpected health setback, on June 29, I crossed the finish line of my 50th race: Missoula half marathon in 2:00:58. Finishing 50 official races was a dream come true; an exciting adventure that involved 8 full marathons and 42 half marathons across 30 states. This journey was full of unexpected challenges, miracles, and unforgettable experiences.
I consider running a life-altering force that’s good for the body and mind. With running, the effort is the reward; the journey is the destination. Every run feels like a victory and a celebration because it shows me how strong and resilient the human spirit is. Running gifts every runner with runner’s high: a sublime, mystical, blissful state of being. Running also fills you with the thrill of accomplishing tough things by yourself, boosting your self-image and self-respect. It also connects us to our roots: a hunter-gatherer wanderer species built to move. I love that in running we control our destiny with our hard work; what we put in is what we get out; nobody else controls our success.
In 2018, I read a brilliant book called Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey, which inspired me to run every day. The more I ran, the more energy I had and I always took feedback from my body. I enjoy marathons and half marathons because they give me a dream, a challenge, a goal, an adventure to pursue. Every race feels like a mission, and a chance to connect with something beautiful and meaningful in the universe. The world of marathons is simple: focus on training and recovery, avoid past mistakes, and endure brutal weather and unexpected setbacks.
My first marathon and half marathon were exciting and taught me tough lessons. I ran my first half marathon: Aramco Houston half marathon in 45F cold and rain, soaked to the bone with hurting, numb hands and old worn out shoes. I thought I wouldn’t survive the race but I finished in 2:08:36. I realized the body adapts if we persist and it’s important to train right and wear good shoes. At my first marathon: the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. A day before the race, my flight was delayed 9 hours due to a storm. In the marathon, I ate a protein bar which gave me an upset stomach, and I did not follow my training pace which made me feel like I would drop dead from exhaustion. I was thrilled and surprised to finish in one piece.
One of the best gifts running has given me is the ability to travel solo and be adventurous. One Saturday morning, I took a 6 am flight to LA and hiked the beautiful desert trails at Griffith Park observatory. The next day, at the LA marathon I felt like I was going to faint, so I drank Gatorade and was instantly back to normal. After the marathon, I visited the gorgeous Santa Monica Pier, caught a red-eye flight, and joined office Monday morning. 2 weeks later, I was at the start line of Philadelphia Marathon, shivering in bone-chilling cold and scared to death because my knee had mysteriously started to hurt a day before. Thankfully, my knee pain vanished 30 minutes into the marathon and I had a blast. A month later, I drove to Alabama for the Rocket City Marathon which was canceled due to a storm but we still received the medal. To earn the medal, I ran the marathon distance of 26.2 miles at Silver Comet Trail in 38F the next day. Even in gloves, my hands hurt from the cold. I told myself: “this too shall pass.” I survived and ran 8 half marathons the next 8 days at Silver Comet Trail. 4 weeks later, I flew to Phoenix on a Saturday morning, hiked mystical sandstone rocks at Papago Park, ran the Arizona Rock n Roll marathon the next day, revisited Papago Park, caught a red-eye flight and joined work Monday morning. Running, somehow, gives me the energy to enjoy action-packed, weekend adventures with extremely long days.
On my running adventures, I was surprised to meet many kind strangers. At the Arizona, Philadelphia, and Kansas races, runners let me ride with them to the race start. As I was heading to the Brooklyn half marathon in predawn darkness and heavy rains, a flight crew was checking into the hotel and said to me: “This is not the weather and the time to go running! It’s time to be warm and comfortable in bed.” It made me laugh. At the Washington DC Rock n Roll half marathon, it was 30F, a runner gave me a hot hands hand warmer because my hands hurt even in gloves. At the Hotlanta half marathon, I was 10 minutes late because I forgot my BIB but the race organizers still let me run. At the Missoula half marathon, a runner shared a heartwarming story of how running saved her life from a dangerous smoking addiction. At the Phildelphia marathon, a runner gave me hope that I could finish the race even with knee pain, when she shared her story of surviving a marathon with an aching knee. At the Atlanta and New Orleans marathons, runners complimented my colorful running gear, which boosted my energy and made me run faster. From running, I have learned that kind words strengthen the nervous system.
One of my running bucket list adventures was to run back-to-back weekend races because I considered them the ultimate test of physical and mental strength. To fulfill this quest, in 2022, I drove to Florida for 9 hours on a Saturday, ran the Fort Lauderdale marathon (4:33:07) on Sunday, drove back after the race, and was back to work on Monday. The next weekend, terrified and nervous, I ran the Publix Atlanta Marathon (5:06:21), a challenging, hilly, rainy race with tired, aching legs. I was happy I survived but I had to take a 3-week break from running to recover. In 2023, I registered for 5 back to back weekend half marathons; excited and curious to test my endurance. I drove to Florida and successfully finished: Clearwater Half marathon (2:06:28) followed by San Francisco half marathon (2:02:04), Publix Florida half marathon (1:59:40), Seaside School half marathon (1:58:52). I was thrilled to run sub-2-hour half marathons on back to back weekends, a difficult milestone. On my way to my 5th consecutive weekend race, I had an accident and never made it to the race. However, I did end 2023 with 5 back to back weekend half marathons across 5 states: Detroit (2:02:02), New Mexico (2:08:41), Indianapolis (2:02:42), North Carolina (2:09:10), and Missouri (2:07:42). This was a fun but nerve-wracking adventure because I was suffering from plantar fasciitis injury which appeared out of the blue a few weeks before the races. After this adventure, I had to stop running for 3 months to rest and recover. In June 2024, 2 weeks before my 50th race, I ran the Fargo half marathon (2:05:03) in North Dakota and Shipyard Old Port half marathon (2:10:26) in Maine on back-to-back weekends. I was happy I survived the races because I had just returned from a 3-week India trip 13 days ago. I learned that back-to-back races made me a stronger runner in the long run if I balanced it with adequate rest and recovery.
I have run some of my most exciting and unforgettable races in adverse weather. At the Flying Pig Half marathon in Ohio, because of strong wind and torrential rains, the race was paused and runners were advised to take shelter 40 minutes after the start. I thought the race was canceled, so I stopped running for a couple of minutes. Upon realizing that the race had only been paused, I continued running and had a blast, finishing in 2:04:45. After the race, I walked back in gloomy, rainy weather for 30 minutes, following Google Maps back to my hotel. It felt exciting to step outside of everyday reality into a fun, challenging adventure. At the San Francisco half marathon, I ran through a rainstorm at the start and endured stifling heat towards the end once the sun was out, finishing in 2:02:04. After the race, I was thrilled to explore the city with my friend and catch a double rainbow. A day before the Brooklyn Half Marathon, I flew to NY and had the most amazing day at the beautiful Central Park, soaking in the vibrant, gritty, artistic energy of the city. The next day, as I waited in the pouring rain for over an hour before the race start, shivering and scared, tired from the energy-draining cold, I wasn’t sure if I would survive the race. I was surprised I enjoyed the race, finishing in 2:04:08. My return journey to the hotel was not fun; I had to endure 90 minutes of train travel in rain-soaked clothes, miserable and uneasy.
With Running, I have seen the seemingly impossible become possible: At the Garmin Olathe Half marathon in Kansas, as I was checking into my hotel, I was horrified to discover that I had forgotten my race BIB in Uber. I called Uber customer service but could not resolve the issue. I decided to return to the race expo and buy a new bib. Nervous and sad, I placed an Uber request on the app. I was stunned and so beyond grateful when the same Uber showed up with my race packet in the back seat. The next day at the race, my hands hurt terribly from the cold. I endured it silently for close to an hour and then whispered a prayer for the sun to come out and warm my hands. I was shocked and beyond thrilled when the sun came out in the next 5 minutes and my hands were warm and back to normal. I finished in 2:02:14. Sometimes, the call to run a marathon can find us when we least expect it. On a train ride in Berlin, a stranger smiled at me as if she secretly knew the significance of this moment, she was reading a book called: Eat and Run by Scott Jurek. A few days later, after reading this book, I trained for a marathon, drove 10 hours to New Orleans on a Saturday, ran the Rock n Roll marathon on Sunday, drove back home after the race, and joined work the next day. A day before the Chicago Rock n Roll half marathon, I can’t believe I had the most peaceful sleep at the most haunted hotel in Chicago. I had been scared all day, walking alongside the beautiful Lake Michigan, anticipating a sleepless, spooky night and a terrible race. But I had a blast at this summer race, finishing in 2:14:31. While traveling to the Rock n Roll Washington DC half marathon, I missed my connecting flight while engrossed in a book. I was pleasantly surprised when the help desk put me on the next available flight free of cost. Maybe the quote from the book: The Alchemist is true: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
It is not easy managing a corporate life on weekdays and running adventures on weekends. Training right, eating for nutrition, and sleeping well is the key. Running to me is a gateway; it helps disconnect from modern reality, thought, and emotion and step into a childlike, monk-like, adventurous, playful reality. I love running in nature the most. I will forever be grateful for all my running adventures.
* Atlanta-based Deepika Chalke is an avid runner who has embarked on an extraordinary journey of endurance, determination, and personal growth through marathon running. After setting an unofficial Guinness World Record for 105 half marathons in 365 days, Chalke continues to push physical and mental boundaries, recently achieving the milestone of 50 official races across 30 states. Balancing a demanding corporate career with an unrelenting passion for running, Chalke views each race as an adventure, overcoming setbacks, extreme weather, and personal challenges with resilience.
