Latest news with #DeliriousWest
The Guardian
17-05-2025
- The Guardian
‘I started seeing robots': what happens when you run nearly nonstop for three days
During a 100 mile (160km) race around Mount Kosciuszko last year, I was caught in a lightning storm. I got talking to a fellow runner who was sheltering with me. She told me that there was an even longer race, out in Western Australia. 'You must do it!' she said. 'The food is incredible, and people share disgusting pictures of their toes afterwards.' It sounded brilliant. The race is called Delirious West, a 200 mile run completed in a single push. Why run 200 miles? For me, it's the adventure. The opportunity to find out more about myself. Ultra marathons – anything longer than the 42 km marathon – are becoming more popular. These are usually 50km or 100km, with some running to 100 miles (160km). And then there's 200 miles (340km) – a niche within a niche. A marathon often takes 3-4 hours, 100km may be more like 15 hours. And 200 miles can be over 100 hours of running. In Australia there used to be three 200 milers –Irrational South, Unreasonable East and Delirious West – each typically attracting 50-100 competitors. This year the only 200 miler left is the Delirious West. The format is simple – run 200 miles along the Bibbulmun track from Northcliffe to Albany (the route had to be changed this year because of bushfires), stopping at roughly 20 aid stations along the route, four of which double as sleep stations. Most runners try to get at least a couple of hours sleep each night, but some do it on virtually no sleep. Many mix hiking and running. But there's no magic formula, except the obvious: keep moving forward. I'd heard from past runners that consistency was key. During the first few months of 2025, I ran 120km a week including five or six hour long runs running up and down a 400m hill on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne, often starting at 4am. But I had no idea how I'd get on in Delirious West – it was a leap into the unknown. We started on a Wednesday morning at the Giant Tingle Tree, amid a stand of enormous gumtrees. The few hours before the start were tense. Runners checked their gear for the hundredth time, made tiny adjustments to backpacks, and nervously shared good lucks. I tried to zone out.'Just get to the first aid station', I thought. At 10am we got under way. We poured down the trail, lots of people cheering and waving. It was a relief to start. The first 100km was through dense, humid forest, along beach dunes and scrubby coastal bush. Not a massive number of hills, but a lot of energy-sapping sand. A bunch of us ran together, hooting and hollering as we went. I got to the first sleep station after about 18 hours of running, just before dawn on Thursday morning. I tried to sleep but I was too wired. On the plus side, the waffles were delicious. On the next section I tried two 'dirt naps'. I had prepared a laminated sign, 'Please don't disturb, I'm having a dirt nap'. I set this out beside the path and then lay down among the creepy crawlies on the forest floor. But I was still too wired. Even lying down briefly made a difference though, and I was keeping up a good jog as I headed to Tree Tops: some of the tallest and most impressive trees in Australia. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning After Tree Tops the landscape changes, from forest through farmland and then back to the ocean at a place called Conspicuous Cliffs. I stopped at the Conspicuous Cliffs aid station, which marks roughly the halfway point, and ran along a stunning moonlit beach. At an estuary a jetskier was waiting, I jumped on the back, rode across the water and then jumped off and resumed my trudge up the beach. By midway through the second night I reached an aid station at a place called Peaceful Bay. Sore and exhausted, I slumped down on a camp bed and at last drifted to sleep. Forty minutes later, at about 1am, I got up, excited about restarting. Pack back on, I was off into the night. I had now been running for about 35 hours and was coming towards the end of my second night. After a while, it feels like it's your job – somehow trudging on felt natural. I felt better on day three than day one. Several aid stations later, my legs felt as I entered my third night things got odd. I was running along coastal paths where giant globe spiders had spun their webs, and I ended up with cobwebs and spiders across my shoulders and hair. On the ground there were thousands of little frogs. I was terrified of standing on one. I also started seeing robots along the path. Hallucinations are normal. More alarmingly, I lost track of being in a race and started to think I might be out there for another reason – inspecting the paths? Doing research? The sensible thing would have been to have had a nap, but I just kept running. At about 20km to go I hit a wall. I'd done about 310km by this stage, pretty much non-stop and running for 64 hours. I started to have an out of body experience, seeing myself looking pitiful and tired on the path. I tried to talk to myself but couldn't work out if I was one person or two people. But my 'voice of reason' did just about cut through. I decided to break the next few km into 100m sections. I kept just thinking 'Can you do the next 100m?' The answer was always yes, and so I kept going. I finally ran into the finish at Albany at 7.45am – nearly three days after I'd started, for a time of 69 hours something: good enough for third place. I'd done the run to learn more about myself. It felt amazing to know what I was capable of. And yes, the toe photos were disgusting.
NDTV
29-04-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Meet Sukant Singh Suki, First Indian To Complete Three 200-Mile Ultramarathons
Mumbai-based model and endurance athlete Sukant Singh Suki has made history by becoming the first Indian to complete three 200-mile ultramarathons held in Australia between 2023 and 2025. His most recent achievement came earlier this month, when he successfully finished the Delirious West, a 321-km race through Western Australia's rugged coastline from Northcliffe to Albany. The ultramarathon, considered among the toughest in the world, required participants to run nonstop for nearly four days. Mr Suki completed the race in 94 hours, with no sleep, while navigating dangerous terrain that included bushfires, snakes, and unpredictable weather conditions. Speaking to NDTV, Mr Suki said the journey to ultrarunning began during a difficult phase of his life. "In 2019, I was at rock bottom- physically, mentally and emotionally. I was dealing with panic attacks, had been diagnosed with ADHD, and was on medication. Running gave me a new life," he said. From 10k runs in 2010 to pushing past 300 km in recent years, Mr Suki has built his endurance step-by-step. "You don't just decide to run 350 km one morning. It takes months of training, discipline and a strong support system," he added. Preparing for ultramarathons is a six-month process, and Mr Suki admits Mumbai isn't the ideal training ground. "The pollution and traffic make long-distance training impossible here. I train in a foreign land." Financial backing has also been a critical part of his journey. Mr Suki credits three sponsors for supporting his recent races: actor John Abraham, Elite Fit Gym x Dubai Dates in Mumbai, and K2K Sport Management. "John read one of my books during the pandemic and reached out to support not just my race, but our shared belief in animal welfare. His encouragement meant a lot, especially when he compared me to David Goggins," Mr Suki said, referring to the legendary American endurance athlete. This year's Delirious West course was shortened from 350 km to 321 km due to bushfires, but the challenges remained intense. "I fought fatigue, hallucinations, wild animals-and my own mind. It was not just a race, but a test of survival," he said. For Mr Suki, ultrarunning is more than just a sport- it's a way to advocate for mental health. "Running helped me heal, and now I want to spread that message. Sport has the power to bring people together and break stigmas." Looking ahead, Mr Suki is already preparing for his next goal: the Arizona Monster 300, an ultramarathon through the harsh terrain of the Sonoran Desert in the United States.
India Today
26-04-2025
- Health
- India Today
Toughest man in India? Sukant Singh Suki runs 350 km race in 4 days
Running 10K races has become increasingly common among white-collar professionals in a fitness-focused India. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the emphasis on physical and mental well-being has grown significantly—but some individuals have gone far beyond what they ever thought possible, even in their wildest such individual is Mumbai's Sukant Singh Suki, who became the first Indian to finish three 200-mile ultramarathon races in the world. Between 2023-2025, Suki ran three races in Australia, all 200 miles long, showcasing the incredible feats humans can achieve. Suki ran the Delirious West race (twice) and the Unreasonable East in a remarkable achievement that is not widely recognised, or perhaps even appreciated, in a country like full-time model. who also runs long distances for personal fulfilment, Suki caught up with to share the experience of his latest run at the Delirious West, organised between April 9-13 in the western part of Australia — from Northcliffe to Albany. The endurance athlete ran 321 kilometres through the picturesque, yet dangerous coastline of Australia, running for nearly 94 hours straight, with little sleep and constant physical discomfort. Suki's latest feat was an example of mental toughness, resilience, and the power of the human spirit. Courtesy: Special Arrangement START OF THE JOURNEYSpeaking to Suki revealed that just before Covid-19 began, he was in the worst mental and physical shape of his life. A champion of mental health, Suki stressed that people needed to open up about the taboo subject more often to lead a healthy and fulfilling 2019, I was getting panic attacks. I was mentally, physically, and emotionally weak, and I was diagnosed with ADHD as well. Medicines for stress and depression didn't help, and that's when I took up running," Suki told in the went through many self-improvement books and finally took up long-distance running on a regular basis, something he had done intermittently before."Running long distances became my therapy. Running distances like 300 kilometres — only one percent of the world can do it. I was told that only 400 people in the world can run this race (Delirious West), it is that tough. So you get the sense that you are doing something big," Suki added. Courtesy: Special Arrangement Like everyone should, Suki also started small. He was accustomed to 10k and 20k runs from 2010-11 and gradually increased that to a full marathon. Before he knew it, those marathons turned into 100, 200, and 300-kilometre runs."It is not possible to run 350 km after waking up one day. Running 350 km without preparation is like committing suicide. You will die a brutal death. One thing is for sure — the organisers will disqualify you. You need a lot of training, endurance. I started with 10k, 12k ten years ago. I read a lot of books and got inspired by David Goggins," he WITH JOHN ABRAHAMadvertisementRunning distances like these is a money-intensive effort. Without proper support and an ecosystem, it is very difficult, let alone sustain the endeavour, to run even once. Suki revealed that one of the biggest support systems in his life has been actor John well known for supporting Indian athlete ecosystems like NorthEast United, read one of the two books that Suki had written during Covid-19, and reached out to help him. The actor turned sports entrepreneur partially sponsored his campaign and promoted welfare for animals through his runs."John Abraham is such a big name, that the fact that he just touched me was a very big thing. When he said he would support me, that meant so much for me. He said he cared about my race, and that too in a country where no one cares about this at all," Suki said. Courtesy: Special Arrangement advertisementSuki also revealed that John even compared him to David Goggins — popularly known as one of the toughest men alive in the world for his ultramarathon running capabilities."When I spoke to John Abraham, he compared me to him, and I was surprised that he knew who David Goggins was," Suki DELIRIOUS WEST RACESuki's experience at the Delirious West Run, held this year between April 9-13, wasn't just another ultramarathon—it was a journey into the unknown. From difficult terrain to battling sleep, fighting off snakes, and avoiding kangaroos, it was not just a run but a fight for survival.'I completed a 321-kilometre race in 94 hours, it's called the Delirious West,' he says, recounting his incredible achievement. 'It runs from Northcliffe to Albany in Western Australia. This year, the distance was reduced to 321 kilometres from 350 kilometres due to bushfires in the area. This is the world's toughest race,' Suki said. The battle was not just physical, but mental as well. Not only did he have to face the forces of nature, but he also had to fight off sleep and hunger and the ever-present urge to rest just two minutes more. Only 61 participants started the race, and less than half finished. The journey wasn't for the faint of was really a proud moment for me to raise the flag of India and finish the challenge. I am really grateful for this,' he says, reflecting on the significance of his achievement. Courtesy: Special Arrangement RISKS OF RUNNING AN ULTRAMARATHONSuki revealed that while there was a high in finishing the race, there are incredible risks involved, even for those who prepare to the best of their capabilities."Last year, when I was running, I was bleeding from my testicles. All of my nails had come off. Last year's race — 'Unreasonable East 200 Mile' in Queensland, Australia — was tougher than this because of the terrain. It was in the mountains, and it was raining, so it turned brutal. I finished that one in 105 hours. Only 27 athletes participated, and out of them, only 20 were able to finish. I don't know, even David Goggins might not have been able to complete it," Suki recalls his experience. advertisementThe worst part about running an ultramarathon, which Suki stresses again and again, is the lack of sleep and what that does to your body. Suki says the challenge is to push past that limit and get to the finish line. In fact, the organisers of the ultramarathons make sure that participants understand the risks and sign a waiver form — if you die, it is on you, and no one else."The most difficult part of running an ultramarathon is that you do not get to sleep at all. Imagine that you are not sleeping for four days. That is the tough part. Otherwise, everyone would run 350 kilometers. No sleep is an absolute nightmare. I finished in 94 hours, which is two hours less than four days. It takes a lot of determination and courage," Suki said."It is not a joke. They make you sign a contract that if you die, it is your responsibility. And it's not just the lack of sleep that will kill you. There are races where snakes chase you. If you get bitten by a them or kicked by a kangaroo, you are done. You definitely need luck to survive out there. You do get food and water from the organiser, but sleep is perhaps the most difficult part of it.""I was alone in that race. Generally, runners have a team around them. When I met John Abraham after the race, I told him that I was chanting his name 24 hours, hoping that it would take me through. In my mind, it was like only one person cares in the entire country, and he would ask me for the results. They had my live tracking. They provided my motivation — that you have to do it." Courtesy: Special Arrangement MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESSFor Suki, the connection between his ultrarunning journey and mental health awareness is profound. In India, where mental health remains a taboo subject, he is keen to break the silence. 'Mental health is like a taboo in this country,' he says. 'People don't talk about it unless a movie star commits suicide. It's time we talk about it because there is nothing wrong with going to therapy. You have to be mentally strong to survive in this world.'His passion for mental health advocacy is evident when he discusses his motivations for running. 'When you are running in the jungle and on the mountain trails, a lot of things go through your mind. Why you are doing this, what is your motivation, who you are motivating. You can be an inspiration to yourself and to others. My cause was mental health and animal welfare.'TRAINING AND ITS CHALLENGESTraining for an ultramarathon is very different from traditional running. Suki revealed that it was not possible for someone living in Mumbai to train in the city due to the pollution and the traffic. Suki personally trained in the Himalayas and the Philippines, with running groups he has connected with over time."Mumbai is no place to run,' he admits. 'The traffic and the pollution. I am here because I work. I go to the mountains to train. I go to the Himalayas, to the Philippines to train, and I do my gym in Mumbai. The city's pollution is not good for your lungs," Suki said. Courtesy: Special Arrangement While many in India may not fully understand the nature of Suki's endeavour, he has found a strong ally in the Indian Navy. 'Indians do not understand what I am doing, but the Navy and Army do,' he explains. 'The Navy invited me last year for a TED talk, and I was shocked by the reception that I got. They know and value what 100 hours of running means.'For Suki, this recognition is something that fuels his fire to continue breaking barriers. "They know and they care. I was told that in our entire country, I am probably one of the 5 or 6 people who can do this kind of running. I was so inspired by that, and that fuelled my hunger further."REAL HERO, NOT REELThe impact of Suki's achievements currently remains in specialised circles like the army or the navy, who value the ability of their personnel to run long distances with very little food and sleep. Suki has been invited to multiple events, where he has shared his experiences and knows that the skill set he has is not of use to the general public, but to specialised personnel, who motivate themselves with his achievements — the personnel who keep the country safe and take on incredibly important tasks where staying alert and clocking long hours is Suki hopes that one day, his journey and achievements will become relevant to India's masses — where his journey becomes a part of a broader movement in India, where the idea of running long distances is slowly gaining credits another actor — Milind Soman — for sparking the interest in long-distance running in the country and hopes that his own journey will inspire a new generation of athletes. 'Milind Soman started the trend on a big scale in India. He has inspired so many people to run,' Suki says. 'I am hoping that more people will follow. There is so much talent in India. But the main concern is that there is a lack of support and education about it.' Courtesy: Special Arrangement Before concluding the interview, Suki revealed that at the TED talk in the navy event last year, he was taken aback by officers flocking towards him to take photos. At the event, a pleasantly surprised Suki politely told them that he was not Shah Rukh Khan, and maybe the honour of a selfie was too reply he got at the event stuck in his mind. "Sir, you are a real hero, not a reel one." That's when it clicked for Suki — the impact he had been able to runner dreams of a future where endurance sports are recognised and celebrated in India, with documentaries and podcasts shedding light on the challenges and triumphs of athletes like him. One day, he dreams that many, like him, will break the physical and mental Watch
