04 Sep 2023
Maiya was heading to Ladakh to do his first midnight marathon, the Rezangla Full Moon Marathon that’s starts from the banks of Pangong Lake at Merak village and finishing at the Rezang La war memorial.
Forty two km long, it is held in honour of the soldiers who lost their lives in the 1962 war. Maiya was expecting inclement weather conditions in Leh. But more challenging was the terrain. “There was no road or path on the last 12-km stretch,” describes Maiya, “you need special shoes for that terrain which I didn’t have.”
Temperatures dip further at night and when one breathes in such cold air, it slows you down.
“It felt better to wear a bandana covering my nose and mouth but that made the intake of oxygen even poorer,” he spoke from Ladakh the morning after. “So I was running with a severe headache,” says Maiya.
Typically oxygen levels are 50% at such altitudes, near Pangong Lake which is why tourists and trekkers are now mandatorily required by the Directorate of Tourism to acclimatize for 48 hours. Acute Mountain Sickness can make you dizzy, nauseated and make you feel so out of breath it can precipitate a panic attack, say seasoned bikers.
Ladakh is not for a short vacation, warns Maiya. Go well planned, drink lots of water and be respectful towards nature.
After completing 30-km, having no road to run on must have been really hard, that too in pitch darkness. “It was indeed my toughest Full Marathon, so far,” admits Maiya.
“It forces you to wonder about those who defend our country at such inhospitable conditions, day in and day out,” reminisces Maiya. The mighty mountains are a force to reckon with.
Rohit Maiya’s Ladakh Marathons were supported by Infyni. As a veteran trainer and long term instructor with Infyni, Rohit Maiya takes live and online SAT classes. He trains and prepares students from Grade 9 onwards, to clear the SAT tests with high scores. To take a free SAT test and get evaluated for free, click on : infynikids.com
Anjana Das
About Author
I handle all content for infyni. My writing career started as a foreign correspondent in Cairo, Egypt and through 12 years I wrote business articles, travel and feature stories on Europe, Middle and Far East. I grew up in West Africa, completed my Masters in Dentistry after which I taught and practiced. For the last 22 years, I have been devoted to writing & teaching young adults in Egypt, Malaysia, and now India.
