Devarao Chaudhari Smashes Indian Record at the World’s Oldest Ultramarathon!

In the small town of Pusad in Maharashtra, a young boy once dreamed of wearing the Indian Army uniform. Years later, that same boy—Devarao Chaudhari—would run into the history books, becoming the fastest Indian at the world’s oldest ultramarathon, the Comrades Marathon in South Africa. Devarao completed the brutal 90-kilometre “Down Run” from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in 7 hours and 3 minutes, shattering the previous Indian best and claiming his second consecutive silver medal at the event. No Indian had ever done that before.A Record-Breaking Feat in South AfricaThe Comrades Marathon, now in its 98th edition, is not just a race; it’s a test of human endurance. The silver medal at Comrades is awarded only to runners finishing between 6 hours and 7 hours, 29 minutes. In 2024, Devarao ran the "Up Run" in 7:04. This year, despite setting his sights on finishing in 6:30, he clocked 7:03, again winning silver and breaking his own record for the fastest Indian time at the event. He beat the previous Indian best, Kartik Joshi’s 7:26, by a massive 23 minutes. Still, Devarao was not entirely satisfied.From Fields to Finish Lines: A Journey That Almost Didn’t StartDevarao’s running career began in 2014, not with dreams of marathons, but of joining the Indian Army. He trained alongside army aspirants, cleared the physical and medical rounds, but failed the written exam. Disappointed but undeterred, he redirected his energy into long-distance running. He began entering races with minimal equipment—even once finishing third in a trail race using road running shoes. In one jaw-dropping feat, he ran 137 km in 13 hours, earning a place in the Asian Book of Records. Devarao’s passion and humility began to inspire others in his village. Devarao Chaudhari’s journey is not your typical success story. It’s about a man who didn’t get what he wanted and still made something incredible out of it. From army rejection to international glory, from village paths to global podiums, Devarao has shown that sometimes, the dreams we fail at give birth to the purpose we’re meant for. He may have missed the army. But he’s become a soldier of spirit, endurance, and quiet revolution.