Bhubaneswar: Three veteran runners from the city have successfully completed the prestigious Berlin Marathon, one of the six World Marathon Majors, becoming the first known residents of Bhubaneswar to finish the globally renowned race. The trio, Dukhisyam Padhy (77), Ramesh Kumar Sahu and Bibhabasu Dash, both 65 years old, completed the 42.195-km race held in the German capital on Sept 27, turning a long-cherished dream into a reality.The Berlin Marathon is regarded as one of the world’s most sought-after long-distance races. Known for its flat and fast course, cool weather and enthusiastic crowd support, the route passes several iconic city landmarks, including the historic Brandenburg Gate. This year’s edition attracted around 56,000 finishers from nearly 160 countries, making the achievement particularly significant for the city runners.Securing an entry itself is a challenge as runners are selected through a global lottery system due to overwhelming demand. “Getting selected through the Berlin Marathon lottery is difficult in itself. Finishing the race at our age and representing Bhubaneswar on a global stage is a matter of pride for us,” said Dukhisyam Padhy.The 77-year-old completed the race in 5 hours, 20 minutes and 32 seconds, finishing 33rd among 66 participants in the 75+ age category. Ramesh Kumar Sahu clocked 5:31:11, while Bibhabasu Dash crossed the finish line in 6:08:25. All three finished within the official cut-off time of 6 hours and 15 minutes.For Padhy, the race was another milestone in an inspiring late-life running journey. “Running alongside participants from 160 countries felt like seeing the whole world on one road. It was a dream come true and will remain a lifelong memory,” he said. The Berlin race marked the 141st marathon of Padhy’s decade-long running career, an achievement few recreational runners can match.City running enthusiasts said the performance is likely to inspire more Odisha runners to participate in international marathons and pursue endurance sports well into their senior years. “The three have really set a benchmark for the youngsters. They taught us again that age is just a number when we have the zeal to perform,” said Aniket Mohanty, a running enthusiast.
