Most doctors frame their academic degrees and hang them on the wall, but Dr Utkrant Kurlekar’s wall has medals won in marathons, which he started late in life but which have changed him more than he expected.
For the Pune-based oncologist, Kurlekar (58) saw his age as the perfect opportunity to lace up his running shoes and explore the world of marathons. Instead of slowing down, he sped up, proving that it’s never too late to start something new and different in life.
Kurlekar is a consultant surgeon performing laparoscopic and cancer surgery at Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune. On March 5, 2023, Kurlekar received the Abbott Six Star Medal, which is awarded after completing six world major marathons. He first completed marathons in London in 2016, Berlin in 2017, Boston and Chicago in 2018, New York in 2019, and his final marathon in Tokyo in 2023 due to the pandemic. He has also completed 18 other marathons.
Kurlekar said he was never a sports person and only started running at the age of 49. “Some batchmates from BJ Medical College, Pune had gathered and during the conversation one of our friends asked, ‘What is your future when we reach 50? The plan?’ Everyone gave different answers but I had something else in mind. I decided to do something for myself, something unique and achievable, regardless of financial status. So I decided to get myself up to the fitness level to run a full marathon, as it is considered an extreme sport at the age of 50 and running does not require any special condition. This motivated me to run 3km to 5km to 10km and then a half marathon. When I turned 50, I ran the Pune and Mumbai marathons and as a gift to myself, I ran the first London marathon,” said Kurlekar.
Kurlekar said being an oncologist and running a marathon was a big job for him and required a lot of dedication, but he still managed to do it.
“My mother always said that if you want to do something in life, always make time. ‘I don’t have time’ is a statement you say to people because you don’t want to do it. That thought was in my head and then I woke up at 5 in the morning to go for a run or go to the gym. Started my training. Sometimes when I run long distances, I start my training at 3-3:30 am.
According to Kurlekar, the most challenging marathon was the Everest Base Camp Marathon, which he did in 2022. “To start a marathon you have to first trek to Everest Base Camp, trek to Everest Base Camp, acclimatise there, then stay there. in the tent It took me about 12 hours to reach the height of 2,700 meters. That was the most challenging part for me.”
“For any person, whether in the medical profession or not, it is important to stay physically and mentally fit. Apart from physical exercise, I run alone and it is meditative for me. You can think about what went wrong, where you can improve. I don’t listen to music when I’m running, I just keep walking, looking around… it helps me keep my mind straight.”
“Even after completing so many marathons, I still ask myself ‘why am I doing this?’ Running is not a profession for me nor do I make any money from it. But it keeps me going and tests one’s mental strength.
Kurlekar said that he faced some difficulties as he did not have a sports background. “At first I was very tired. People say I need a knee replacement, but I don’t think so. Helps skeletal muscles last longer. Now it helps me stay fit.”
Kurlekar followed a protein-rich diet of home-cooked meals. He jogged for two hours at 5:30 a.m. and recently started the gym.
Kurlekar’s memorable marathon was the New York Marathon. He said, ‘The crowd there was amazing. Another experience was in the Arctic Circle, when an ice glacier ran into a hard ice cliff. Because of the slippery road, I slipped and fell down, but I did not stop. As a surgeon you perform many surgeries. You plan something and something different happens, you improvise as you go.”
Kurlekar plans to travel to New Zealand’s North Island in January 2025 for his next marathon.