The First Mysore Marathon 2025

After last month's "My sore" Wipro Bangalore marathon - after 18 week training to have a rendezvous with cramps at 29kms needed quick redemption. It was a toss up between KTM and the Inaugural Postal Mysore Marathon. With Mysore, I could stay over at a cousins place, it was all road, plus at Rs.12/km, it was wallet friendly. In general, I plan to race some more, to get my act together with race-day pacing, nutrition and electrolytes.

Mysore Marathon - why?

I managed to squeeze in a 30k and a 20k sandwiched between the two marathons. Family decided to join me to Mysore, and with new clutch plates on my car, I was excited to test all this out, We drove out after carb-loading at Govardhana Giri at Puttige mutt at a function. Quite an apt pre-race ritual, if the marathon course is to take you up Chamundi hill, I guess.

Pre-race

Pre-race always brings in the jitters. Everyone who came in contact with me that Saturday knew how to avoid and what to do if you get cramps. I also clarified a few times that it was not the same as Kantara Daivaradhane.

I discussed the course with my cousin Sri - the first half was from the postal training center, out to the ring road, 5km on ring road, U-turn and back for 21km. The next half was to take us up Chamundi hills along a now-disfunct pedestrian only back route. The climb would begin at 24k for about 6-7 (67 yeah).

I soaked my feet in Epsom salt, packed my race day nutrition - 4 gels, 8bsalt tabs, set out my gear - 2XU compression pants, had an early dinner and went to bed early.

Race day

The parking lot seemed half a km away from start line. Marathoners are this weird tribe, who run 42kms for nothing, but will argue that the parking lot is 0.5kms too far. I managed to find a hiding spot under a rock for 2 gels which I intended to pick up for the second half.

At the start line, the only familiar face was Nagraj Adiga, the race director. He informed that the race would only start 15mins late, at 4:30, to allow for some daylight! Apparently, this being the first marathon, the only one going up Chamundi hills, there were many issues with police permissions leading up to the race day - what's new?

Akshy, the speedy IAS officer was eyeing the podium, another friend Rahul rounded up everyone that I knew.

First half

200 full marathon registrants, 120 at the start line, I was already within the top 100 in this race! There were a few elite looking runners from services in singlets at the start line and the rest of us mortals.

A muted count down and we took off. Within 1km I caught up with Deepak, he seemed to be running at my target pace. We ran together for the next 20kms, he was fresh off Solang 100k race, a brutal race, with 6000m of climb at altitude, which he had finished 4th, a time of 26hrs!

We only had to watch out for the stray dogs. The ring road stretch was awesome, we were on a (mostly) well lit, undulating service road. We had the lead female runner and her escort for a bit.

I stuck to my schedule of gels every 45mins and salt tab every 30mins and 2 piss breaks in this half. There was just one incident of a dog chase, but otherwise we both reached the PTC on target, in 1:44:xx

Second half / (Not) the better half

We ran along Karinji lake and headed towards the hill. The half marathon was flagged off by Wodeyar, the King of Mysore and was 45mins ahead of us.

Deepak was feeling strong and he took off, wanting to rein in the runner in 4th place.

I took another pee break, bracing for the climb coming up.

My plan was to slow down about a min/km in the uphill and make that up during the return. But into the 26th km, the gradient seemed steep, I decided to walk, peppered with some jogs - the pace slowed to 8min/km. I was still in 6th place and catching up with some slow half marathoners.

After about 3kms of climb, the course surprisingly went downhill. This was the last minute change to the route - rather than go all the way up the hill, we would go down, U-turn and get back up and then down again. I guess I did ok on the downhill, not as fast as I would have liked, but avoiding any cramps. With 3k to U-turn, Akshy passed me in the opp direction, now in first place, Deepak about 2kms behind him in 4th place.

The views were great, the peak was engulfed in a cloud. The rains of the previous week had taken a break and the sun was peeping in through the foliage. The air was crisp and the morning walkers were amused by their peace disturbed by these runners.

The lead female runner, Bejoy passed me before the U-turn and was looking strong.

The 31.7k U-turn came in 2:45, by now, I had stopped looking at my pace. The uphill till 36k was not bad, I just kept walk-jogging, had my gels and salts and still managed to keep cramps at bay.

I managed to run the downhill after the Nandi point, keeping a slow pace and walking when needed. I was passed by another runner on the downhill.

As I started counting down the kms, the 10k, 5k, 3k runners gave outbsome cheers.

I ran into the PTC campus without cramping and went under the finish arch just under 4 hours - 8th male, 9th overall - some consolation.

Again, like my last marathon, I wasn't spent. I had a quick idly vada sambar chutney chutney chutney breakfast and took the long long walk to the parking.

Deepak had finished in 3:37, in 4th place. My family had a puja breakfast at Aunt T's place. Post another breakfast there and shower and lunch at Sri's, we drove back to Bangalore. Another FM done, but i still don't know what to make of these 4hr finishes!