Manali-Leh highway, which has average elevation more than 12,000 feet and four major mountain passes with elevation of over 16,000 feet, has been the place for many adventure enthusiasts to set a world record. Not only Ladakh is a popular tourist destination where lakhs of tourists visit every year to enjoy the amazing landscapes, high altitude passes, ancient monasteries, unique culture and lakes, the region is also offering an opportunity to people to attempt for new records. People come here to set world records in many categories including fastest man/woman to cover the distance between Leh and Manali on foot, fastest cycling on this road, fastest car drive etc, motorbiking etc. We shall keep you updated with the latest records and attempts.
Pune woman runs Leh to Manali in five days, sets new world record
August 14, 2022
Pune based 45-year-old ultra runner-cum-cyclist Preeti Maske, a mother of two, created another world record to become the fastest woman on foot to run from Leh to Manali in just 4 days, 22 hours and 9 minutes. Till now the world record is held by Sufiya Khan who ran from Manali to Leh in six days.
Preeti set a Guinness World Record in June this year by becoming the first woman to solo cycle from Leh to Manali in just 55 hours 13 minutes. She also holds many other records in long distance cycling. This time she attempted for Guinness record for the fastest on foot journey from Leh to Manali. With 8,000m elevation gain, runner-cum-cyclist Preeti covered a distance of 80km every day on the first four days and 100km on the last day.
She was flagged off by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) from Leh at 6am on August 9 by chief engineer Brig Gaurav Karki. Given the monsoon conditions, she had planned to finish the 428km long running expedition in six days on August 15 but she finished it a day in advance on August 14 early morning.
“I enjoyed every bit of the run and took some shortcuts through the winding roads with guidance of BRO team to cut short the distance to 402km. I also tied rakhis to BRO brothers enroute. Although the altitude, cold, inhospitable terrains, mountain passes and low oxygen level pose difficulty, I was confident of the success as I completed a similar expedition earlier this year on cycle,” she said.
Preeti’s orthopedic physiotherapist Dr Priyanka Badalia made sure that Preeti did stretching exercises every 10 km or two hours. Dr Priyanka added, “My job was to keep Preeti injury free in this long 5 days continuous extensive run of 19 hours every day with neck, back and legs massage. Despite a flat left foot with an extended bone condition, she had no foot sores. Her foot was paining a lot on the second day and the crew member Shyamal gave her his big size shoe of 8.5 size with a broad toe fit which worked for her and she did not look back. Her regular shoe size is 7.”
As Preeti’s SPO2 dropped to 60 per cent on high mountain passes due to low oxygen level, she was given oxygen twice. The battlefield nursing assistant (BFNA) provided by BRO was constantly evaluating her vital parameters.
Preeti said she witnessed a huge temperature variation during the run as she used to run with jacket in the morning time and had to remove it after sunrise and then temperature used to drop suddenly as low as 2 degrees C in the evening. She said on August 10 she had to run in the nighttime for eight hours during heavy rains.
“I used to manage sleep deprivation with coffee. Remaining hydrated and taking frequent nutrition breaks is the secret to my endurance. I kept taking coconut water for minerals besides juices, peanuts, chocolates, aaloo cheese and chapatti roles on the run. I have lost 3kg. The expedition ended in Manali in presence of BRO’s Col Shabarish Vachali,” she added.
Mahendra Mahajan, a 46-year-old dentist from Nashik, had completed the Leh to Manali on foot journey in just 4 days 21 hours and 18 minutes in July this year. Preeti is confident that Guinness Book of World Records will acknowledge her feat in woman category.
Maharashtra doctor runs Leh to Manali in 5 days, sets new world record
Updated on July 12, 2022
Famous for its high mountain passes and challenging terrains, the 428km-long Manali-Leh highway has become a battleground for adventure enthusiasts from across the globe who attempt world records here in different categories every year.
In a new world record, a 46-year-old dentist from Nashik, Maharashtra, has run from Leh to Manali in just 4 days, 21 hours and 18 minutes. Mahendra Mahajan started his journey from Leh on July 7 at 6:12am and reached Manali on July 12 at 3:30am. The Guinness Book of World Record had given him a window of eight days to set the record for “Leh to Manali fastest journey on foot”, but he completed the distance three days in advance.
Ultra runner Sifiya Khan had set a Guinness world record for fastest on foot journey from Manali to Leh in 2021, covering the distance in 6 days 12 hours and 6 minutes. Mahendra Mahajan attempted the record in opposite direction and set the record.
“ADGP Ladakh SS Khandare and educationalist, scientist and engineer from Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk flagged off the run from Leh at 6:12 am on July 7. On first day, I did 91km and ended just below 17,582ft high Taglangla pass, the highest point of my journey. After 4 hours of sleep break, I took second break at Pang after crossing the plateau of Morre Plains with total run of 84km,” Mahendra said.
He added that the beginning of the third day was not good as he had started the run at 4:30am but the support vehicle didn’t start from Pang and he kept climbing the mountain pass without water and meal for three hours. He said he covered 76kms after traversing Lachlungla (16,616ft) and Nakeela pass (15,547ft) and took a short break at Sarchu.
“On day 4, I started from Sarchu but had to take fest for another 45 minutes due to pain. After medication, I climbed Baralancha pass (16,050ft) and reached Darcha after covering 75km. I had nearly 95km more to reach Manali and the task was nearly impossible in just one day. I managed to reach Tandi at 11am after covering Keylong. Now running downhill was really painful. I reached Atal tunnel at 7pm,” he said.
Mahendra said they had all required permissions but still nearly 1.5 hours were wasted in seeking police permission again to cross the tunnel as police insisted on sending an escort with him. He said the last few kilometers to Manali were very painful and it was raining heavily.
“With swollen left foot and blisters on both soles and rains continuing, I switched from shoes to sandals. Finally, I made it to Manali at 3:30am. Sumeet Paringe, Nitin Wankhede and Om helped me achieve this feat by being my support team members. My slogan has been “healthy citizens can only build strong nation”. Guinness officials had given me a target of eight days with evidence which I achieved much earlier,” he said.
Passionate about adventure sports, Mahendra summitted Mt Everest in 2019, and he is an ultracyclist. He and his brother are the first Indian duo to win race across America and he is already a Guinness World Record holder for cycling from Srinagar to Kanyakumari in 10 days and 9 hours in 2018. If all evidences found suitable, Mahendra will set another world record of fastest on foot journey from Leh to Manali.
Pune mum sets world record by peddling from Leh to Manali in 55 Hrs
Updated on June 25, 2022
A 45-year-old cyclist from Pune, Preeti Maske, who is a mother of two children, made it to the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the first woman to solo cycle from Leh to Manali in just 55 hours 13 minutes.
Guinness Book of World Record had given a window of 60 hours to complete this challenge but Preeti made it much earliest. She had to cover a distance of 428km on the daunting Leh-Manali highway with a total elevation gain being more than 26,000 feet. 17,582ft high Taglangla pass was the highest pass she peddled across. Many other passes were also higher than 16,000ft.
“Managing the sleep deprivation in a continuous and non-stop ride in high altitude region was a big challenge for me. I had to take oxygen due to breathlessness at high passes twice during my adventurous journey,” she said.
Preeti was flagged off by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) chief engineer in Leh Brig Gaurav Karki from Leh at 6am on June 22. She was received by BRO’s 38 Border Roads Task Force commander Col Shabarish Vachali in Manali on June 24 at 1:13pm.
Preeti already holds many records in long-distance cycling. Not many solo women cyclists would dare to attempt such a challenge on the high altitude road with extreme weather conditions. The highway has hundreds of hairpin curbs and many high mountain passes. She had to climb up the passes and then again climb down. She also had to continue peddling while it was snowing at some places including Baralacha pass.
One of her crew members Anand Kansal said, “Preeti had to cycle in harsh and varying climate conditions on high altitude mountain passes. She had to face strong winds, snowfall, sun, dust, and freezing temperatures. This feat could not have been possible without the support of BRO who had deployed two support vehicles with a satellite phone and medical assistance.”
The team has fulfilled the requirements of the Guinness Book of World Records. The team said they will certainly get the record certificate in a few days.
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