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Time of India
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Manipur's ultra-cyclist John Gwite joins global legends, completes 'Race Around Poland' within 10 days
Manipur 's high-endurance ultra-cyclist John Khammuanlal Gwite has made history in Poland by finishing the ' Race Around Poland ' in 237 hours and joining an elite club of ultra-cycling legends like Christoph Strasser and Marko Baloh, TOI reported. At a time when Manipur is in turmoil and uncertainty, Gwite has displayed tremendous mental strength and shown that Indian riders can match the best in this gruelling sport. He became the first Indian to complete the competition within 10 days, breaking the previous Indian record 274 hours. Gwite had completed the iconic ' Paris-Brest-Paris ' in an impressive 59 hours two years ago. He now aims to participate in the ' Race Across America (Raam)', a 3,000-mile ultra-endurance cycling race across the US. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 유독 심했던 무릎 관절통... 알고나니 간단하네요 큰딸민지 더 알아보기 Undo Ultra-cycling is a sport where the cyclist goes solo without team cars, external nutrition or mechanical support. The Poland race is considered as one of Europe's most unforgiving endurance tests. It is an unsupported ride spanning 3,600 km and an elevation gain of over 31,000 metres. This year's event was also the World Ultra Cycling Championships , with over 60 elite riders from across the globe. Live Events 'The climbs were brutal with over 30,000 metres of elevation, and we were not prepared for the chilling cold at night,' Gwite told TOI. 'I wasn't carrying any winter gear, and in the late-night hours, it was the toughest. I had to modify my strategy, get polythene from local shops and make it into a vest and knee warmers. That small improvisation probably saved my ride,' he said. The 37-year-old considers the finish as the culmination of years of quiet, gruelling preparation. In 2023, Gwite finished 'Paris-Brest-Paris', called the Olympics of ultra-cycling, covering 1,229 km in just 59 hours to secure a global rank of 248 among nearly 9,000 cyclists. In 2022, he completed the 'London-Edinburgh-London' ride, a 1,535 km in 110 hours, and cemented his credentials as one of India's most accomplished ultra-distance cyclists. Over the last decade, Gwite has 19 Super Randonneur titles, completing some of the harshest rides across the subcontinent, including the 'Trans-Himalaya 1200' and the 'Wagah-to-Kanyakumari' expeditions. 'End of the day, it's about how one prioritises life,' he said. 'It doesn't help thinking constantly of issues back home, but to keep oneself healthy is the best way to help my society and country.' With the extraordinary achievement in Poland, Gwite qualified for the iconic Raam, which is considered as the pinnacle of ultra-cycling. The challenge ahead is as much logistical as physical. 'The 'Race Across America' is super expensive. Unless you get proper support, it's difficult to do it on your own. I have qualified and the idea is to definitely go. But this is not a Rs 10 or Rs 20 lakh budget. You need a proper crew including a doctor, nurse, and physiotherapist. For Raam, we can't randomly pick people; we need a team that understands the race,' Gwite said.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Manipur's John Gwite rides into global league with 'Race Around Poland' milestone
NEW DELHI: At a time when his home state of Manipur is caught in the grip of turmoil and uncertainty, high endurance ultra-cyclist John Khammuanlal Gwite has shown extraordinary mental strength and resilience, channelling his energy into a historic performance in Poland. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With his 237-hour finish in the 'Race Around Poland', Gwite has joined an elite club of ultra-cycling stalwarts such as Christoph Strasser and Marko Baloh, proving that Indian riders can match the best in this punishing sport. He became the first Indian to complete the event in under 10 days, bettering the previous Indian mark of 274 hours. Two years ago, Gwite completed the legendary 'Paris-Brest-Paris' in an impressive 59 hours, and now, harbours the desire to participate in the 'Race Across America (Raam)', a 3,000-mile ultra-endurance cycling race across the US. Ultra-cycling is a solo port with no team cars, external nutrition or mechanical support, and the Poland race is widely regarded as one of Europe's most unforgiving endurance tests — an unsupported ride spanning 3,600 km and an elevation gain of over 31,000 metres. The 2025 edition of the race doubled as the World Ultra Cycling Championships, drawing over 60 elite riders from across the globe. 'The climbs were brutal with over 30,000 metres of elevation, and we were not prepared for the chilling cold at night,' Gwite recalled. 'I wasn't carrying any winter gear, and in the late-night hours, it was the toughest. I had to modify my strategy, get polythene from local shops and make it into a vest and knee warmers. That small improvisation probably saved my ride,' he said. For the 37-year-old from Churachandpur, this finish is the culmination of years of quiet, gruelling preparation. In 2023, Gwite finished 'Paris-Brest-Paris', called the Olympics of ultra-cycling, covering 1,229 km in just 59 hours to secure a global rank of 248 among nearly 9,000 cyclists. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A year earlier, he completed the 'London-Edinburgh-London' ride — 1,535 km in 110 hours — and cemented his credentials as one of India's most accomplished ultra-distance cyclists. Over the past decade, Gwite has amassed 19 Super Randonneur titles and tackled some of the harshest rides across the subcontinent, including the 'Trans-Himalaya 1200' and the 'Wagah-to-Kanyakumari' expeditions. 'End of the day, it's about how one prioritises life,' he said. 'It doesn't help thinking constantly of issues back home, but to keep oneself healthy is the best way to help my society and country.' Gwite's achievement in Poland also serves as a qualifier for the iconic Raam, often considered the pinnacle of ultra-cycling. But the challenge ahead is as much logistical as physical. 'The 'Race Across America' is super expensive,' he admitted. 'Unless you get proper support, it's difficult to do it on your own. I have qualified and the idea is to definitely go. But this is not a Rs 10 or Rs 20 lakh budget. You need a proper crew including a doctor, nurse, and physiotherapist. For Raam, we can't randomly pick people; we need a team that understands the race,' Gwite said. For a sport largely invisible in India's cricket-dominated landscape, his solitary rides have become quiet symbols of grit and possibility, showing what determination can achieve even in the face of overwhelming odds.
NDTV
10-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Pedalling Through Pain, Finding Purpose - John Gwites Ride From Manipur To The World Stage
In the world of sports, glory often comes with glitter - stadium lights, roaring crowds, sponsorship deals. But John Khammuanlal Gwite's path was lit only by determination, and his roar came from within - a lone rider pedalling 3,600 kilometers across Poland, in a race that tested the outer limits of human endurance. He finished in 237 hours, unsupported, beating the previous Indian record by nearly 40 hours. No team car, no backup crew - just a man, his cycle, and the long, lonely road. And yet, that incredible finish line in Poland was not the hardest stretch of his journey. John comes from Churachandpur, a small town in Manipur - a state that has, over the past year, been in the news not for its triumphs, but for its turmoil. Violence, displacement, silence. Stories of suffering have dominated conversations around Manipur. But John's story, quietly unfolding amid all this, is one of perseverance. Of reclaiming dignity not through protest or noise - but by quietly doing something no Indian had done before. Born into the Paite-Zomi community, John grew up like many boys in Manipur - far from India's power centres, often overlooked, his identity peripheral in the national imagination. His professional life took him to Delhi, where he worked in data consulting. He was a family man, living a regular urban life. Then came the COVID lockdown. Cut off from the world and from people, John turned to cycling for mental clarity. What began as a coping mechanism evolved into a calling. From 50 km rides to 200 km brevets to 1,200 km endurance events, his transformation was not that of a hobbyist but of an athlete discovering late. Cut off from the world and from people, John turned to cycling for mental clarity. What began as a coping mechanism evolved into a calling. From 50 km rides to 200 km brevets to 1,200 km endurance events, his transformation was not that of a hobbyist but of an athlete discovering late in life what his heart and body were truly capable of. There was no coach, no sponsor, no training camp. What John had was discipline - and the will to be seen. Not as a statistic from the Northeast. Not as a victim. But as a world-class athlete. Over the past few years, John took on some of the toughest ultra-cycling challenges in the world: the famed Paris-Brest-Paris (1,229 km) in 59 hours, placing among the top two Indians; the brutal London-Edinburgh-London race; countless Super Randonneur titles. All self-funded. All completed alongside a full-time job and family responsibilities. When he lined up for the Race Around Poland - the 2025 World Ultra Cycling Championship - he wasn't just racing for a title. He was carrying an entire state's hope on his back, silently pushing against the erasure that people from the Northeast often feel in the Indian mainstream. And he delivered. "Cyling means a lot to me. It is like a medicine for me, its a healing miracle, for physical and mental stress, and give change to be more spiritual as you have ample time to meditate," Gwite told NDTV And the challenges were many. "When I started travelling long distances, I was not prepared for the chilling cold, I did not carry my winter /cold gear. So with only one pair of socks and I managed. mMy knee part..I would cover with polythene. and with another polythene I made a vest to cover my chest," he said. But John doesn't call himself a hero. In fact, he rarely speaks of himself at all. When asked about his record-breaking finish, he said, "I rode with everything I had. I just didn't want to stop." In a race that saw many drop out, he kept going. Through sleep deprivation. Through hunger. Through hallucinations. Through 31,000 meters of climbing - almost four times the height of Mount Everest. His feat now qualifies him for the legendary Race Across America - a pinnacle in the world of endurance cycling. But even as he eyes that challenge, his heart remains rooted in the hills of home. "I hope this gives people back home something to feel proud of," he says quietly. "I want them to know we belong - in every conversation, in every field, even in a sport as niche and punishing as this." In a time when Manipur has been crying out to be heard, John Gwite didn't shout. He rode. Mile after mile, across countries and continents, until the world could no longer ignore the man from Manipur - who carried a state's resilience in his legs and rode into history. "My only message is for the youth of my State. Focus on your health. Focus on your life. There is nothing more important than well being."
