International-level runner Dev Shrirang Chaudhary has entered the Asia Book of Records by running continuously for 13 hours. He covered a distance of 137 kilometers on the track at District Sports Complex in Yavatmal during his record-making endevour. As soon a Dev accomplished the feat on Tuesday, the entire permises reverberated with jubilations of his supporters. Dev was greeted with a water cannon while sounds of clapping, whistles and drumbeats filled the air. Giving the message of physical fitness and de-addiction, the international runner Dev ran non-stop for 13 hours to get his name into the Asia Book of Records.

 

Dev started running at 7 am on Tuesday with Superintendent of Police Kumar Chinta shoing him the green flag. Dr Prakash Nandurkar, District Sports Officer Ghanshyam Rathod, Sushil Kothari, Avinash Lokhande, Manisha Akare and many dignitaries from the city were also present on the occasion. Apart from cheering for him, many of Dev’s supporters even ran along side him from time to time to keep his spirits up. Worth mention is Dev’s 60-year-old mother Panchphula Chaudhary who also ran along with her son for some distance. It may be mentioned here that Dev has participated in many competitions in the country and abroad, wom medals and even set new records. Recently, he had unveiled the sports flag of Khasdar Krida Mahotsav in Nagpur along with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and actress and MP Kangana Ranaut. Dev hails from a farmer’s family of Shrirampur in Pusad taluka. At the age of 27 years, he ran the toughest ultra marathon known as ‘The Ultimate Human Race’ in Durban, South Africa and became the ‘Fastest Indian’ by winning the Comrade Marathon in its 97-year history. In this competition, Dev covered a distance of 86 kilometers in 7 hours and 4 minutes and bagged the silver medal. Dev has been running in various competitions since the age of 18 years.

 

He says he got attracted towards running after seeing young men running while preparing for police recruitment drive. His success today is a results of years of unwavering dedication and practice. His day begins with running and he runs for at least 25 kilometers every day. Then there are also sessions of swimming, gym exercises, etc for additional muscle strength and fitness. To keep achieving what he does, Dev not only has to practice but also eat right. Here, he credits the food made by his mother as the best in te world. It may be mentioned here that the execssive wear and tear make it necessary for Dev to buy a new pair of special shoes almost every month. And each pair costs a minimum of Rs 25,000. Hailing from a farmer family, this is simply unaffordable for him. But his supporters and well-wishers have taken care of this problem as well and ensured that dev keep going.

 

ill date, he has participated in 70 competitions including those of 10, 21 and 42-km marathons. He has won the ‘Indian Backyard Ultra Marathon’ for three consecutive years. He represented India in the Indian Big Dog Backyard Ultra World Championship held in Delhi. He ran for 22 hours in the Black Horse Backyard Ultra Marathon in Jaipur and 12 hours in the Swarajya Backyard Ultra in Pune. In the Jumping Gorilla Mountain Trail Marathon in Pune, he ran for 120 kilometers continuously in Sinhagad area and won it. What is pertinent to note is that Dev has won all these competition, training single-handedly, without any coach. The record set on Tuesday is another feather in Dev’s cap and who knows, before the dust on the track settles, he may well be sprinting towards another milestone.