“The Marathon I Almost Didn’t Run”

Indrani Ghosh

May 7

9 min read

I prayed, prayed, prayed, and then prayed some more and prayed even harder. That is what the past two months have looked like for me after the Tokyo Marathon.

I love posting about my runs, sharing my training, my progress, my good days, my not-so-good runs, my journey on Instagram. It gives me a different kind of joy

But for the London Marathon, I went completely off the radar. I even switched my Strava account to Private mode. Not much action was happening there anyway.

Very few people knew I was running London, just 8 weeks after completing Tokyo.

Now, before you go, “Are you crazy? Why did you register for two back-to-back world majors?”, let me stop you right there. I didn’t. It just happened 😊

Last June, when I underwent surgery for my endometriosis cyst, I booked the London Marathon through Active Holiday. Right there on that hospital bed, I decided I needed something extra fabulous to look forward to, and what better than London?

Then in August, the Tokyo Marathon ballot opened, and I registered without giving it much thought. I mean, who really expects to win that lottery 😊

But, “Uparwala jab deta hai, chappar phaad ke deta hai.” (translation - “When God blesses you, He goes all out.”)

And I got through Tokyo.

I immediately called the Active Holiday team and requested if I could defer London to 2027. Since I had already paid most of the amount, they refused.

So there I was. Two world majors in the span of 8 weeks, courtesy of my madness and God’s grace.

So why didn’t I talk about London?

Well, I would have. The plan was to announce it after Tokyo. But…

My closest friends and family told me, “Can you keep a low profile for some time?”

Because “nazar is real.”

I don’t strongly believe in nazar, but sometimes you observe things and realize not everyone is happy for you...and surprisingly, people who are doing better than you can get triggered by your moments of joy. And in your lowest moments, you start remembering things you once chose to ignore just to keep the peace.

In September 2023, after Berlin, I decided to run the Tata Mumbai Marathon just three months later. That decision seemed to trigger someone, someone who is, in fact, a much better runner than I, who said, behind my back, “bahut charbi chadhi hai kya?” (I don’t even want to translate this.)

I brushed it off at the time. But some words have a way of coming back to you when you’re already struggling. And this was one of them.

Lately, running has been feeling a lot like capitalism to me. The faster you are, the more respect you seem to get. Sub 4 starts to feel like an upper class, and sub 5 like it constantly has to prove itself. But every runner out there is working just as hard in their own lane. How about minding your own business?

Why is it so difficult to just say, “Hey, don’t worry, you will do well. Just enjoy this one. You will get other opportunities to chase a PR”...? Instead, people were more curious to know if I had cancelled my London plans. The war could not stop me, darling, so definitely I am going and will put my best foot forward.

It is honestly disheartening to see how, for some, it is all just about timing.

With so many lows and very few ups in my running life at that point, I chose to step back from social media. Because running is everything to me, and if I ever have to sacrifice one thing for another, it will always be the one that is not running.

Back to Tokyo Marathon

If you have read about my Tokyo experience (Tokyo Marathon 2026! ), you will know that around the 35th km, I had to drastically slow down. My right leg quads, just above the knee, completely gave up, and the pain slowly travelled down to my ankle.

I thought it was just normal wear and tear. After all, I had trained hard for months. I was planning to rest for two weeks anyway before starting London prep, so I assumed I would be fine.

The ordeal begins

Week 1, still limping. No medical intervention yet. Delusion at its best.

Week 2, still limping. Slight panic was creeping in as my rest window was ending. Visit to physio, Icing, hot water with salt, resistance band exercises, and I started doing everything I could to feel better.

Week 3, still limping. Tried brisk walking, nope. Could not even manage that. Shin and ankle pain at its peak. Panic mode on.

More physio sessions and deep-tissue massages. The physio didn’t find anything wrong, and she just recommended giving some more time.

Week 4, still no clear diagnosis. Just “be patient” and “take it slow.”

But time was running out, and so was my patience.

One month to go for the London Marathon, and here I was, not even able to walk properly, forget running.

Towards the end of Week 4, I went to a trained yoga practitioner. I often go to her for medical yoga sessions whenever I have back pain or other issues, and she has always been magical.

I thought, I have used all my arrows, time to use my Brahmastra. She is my go-to person when everything else fails.

And as always, she kind of reprimanded with, “How much do you abuse your body?” :D

She noticed slight swelling around my ankle and said she needed to understand the cause before helping me. She advised an X-ray.

I somehow held myself together, but the moment I got into my car, I broke down. I cried a river. I spiraled into a hundred what-ifs. Hyper overthinking mode on. The world has ended for me.

What if it is a fracture?

What if there is a ligament tear?

What if they tell me I cannot run for weeks?

I called my mom because no matter how old I get, that is what I will always do. Just to hear her say, "Kichu hobe na, sob bhalo hoye jaabe. ekdom chinta korbi na” (Translation - Nothing will happen. Everything will be okay, don't worry at all)

After that, I called my running friend. He has seen me at my worst in these past two months coz I was a psychological mess. Every day, I would rant until his ears would bleed.

And he would reassure me, saying, “Do not worry. You just need one good run. That’s it.”

This line would shut me up immediately. Like, yes, just one good run you need, Indrani, don’t lose hope 😊

Since I was not even in a state to figure things out, he found a nearby doctor for me who had an X-ray facility.

I went. The doctor did not think an X-ray was necessary, but since I insisted, he agreed. And like a little girl waiting for exam results, I held my breath.

When he said nothing was wrong, I smiled.

It turned out to be a severe case of inflammation and ankle strain. He prescribed some medicines and asked me to resume running in four to five days.

What a relief.

I am so grateful to Megha Chaphekar, the yoga practitioner with a magical touch, for pushing me to see an ortho. Otherwise, I would have just continued suffering without clarity.

When hope returned like sunlight after a storm.”

The medicines worked. At the same time, I called Yash, my strength-and-conditioning trainer. I signed up for another month because if I could not run yet, at least I could start rebuilding strength instead of just sitting and stressing. Yash works so beautifully on my mental and physical strength. As I have said in my previous posts, though he is younger than me, when he puts his trainer’s hat on, he speaks words of true wisdom.

And just like that, it is April. 26 days to go for the London Marathon.

5th April - 21 days to go for the London Marathon.

And I clocked my first long run—16 km at a pace of 8:14 min per km.

I took a screenshot and sent it to three people who truly cared and constantly checked in on me. Yash, my trainer. My mom 😊. And Pranab Garad.

Pranab is another incredible runner I met through Instagram and the running community. Sharp, thoughtful, and incredibly humble. I had even taken his interview; you can read it here. Mind believes, body achieves!

He kept reminding me about muscle memory and to trust my Tokyo training. His constant advice was simple: go slow, take it easy, and just focus on keeping the legs fresh and healthy until race day.

So when I shared that screenshot, I also told him my plan for the next two weeks: 24 km and then 28 or maybe 30 km.

He immediately asked, “Is it necessary to do 28?”

I come from a heavy mileage mindset. That is how I have always trained. High volume, peak weeks touching close to 350 km in a marathon cycle. So, in my head, longer runs always meant better.

He did not agree. He suggested going shorter, keeping it sharp.

At that point, I was taking things one day at a time, so I did not overthink week three before finishing week two.

12th April. (2 weeks to go before LM)24 km at a pace of 7:09 per km.

I had the biggest smile on my face that day.

It felt like all my prayers were finally being heard. All the reassurance from the people who kept telling me, “You just need one good run,” was coming to life.

Again, I took a screenshot and sent it to my small circle of guiding angels.

Pranab replied, “Next week, 18.”

I was genuinely amazed by his involvement. He did not have to do any of this. He is not my coach, not my mentor. And yet, he showed up. In many ways, he became a savior in that phase, pulling me out of my own self-doubt.

So, on 19th April, exactly a week before race day, I did 18 km at a pace of 6:40 per km.

Wooohoooo!!!!! Can you imagine me doing a little dance here 😊

There are a few stalwarts from the running community whom I would like to thank. like Narendra sir from Bavdhan Brigade and Radkar sir for their check in time to time and asking about my progress. Radkar sir also advised me not to push a very long run in the final week before the race.

And just like that, with only three so-called long runs in this entire training block, I found myself at the start line of my fourth World Major.

The power of prayers!

For a girl who always dreamt of visiting the places she had only seen in movies, and found running to be the medium to fulfil those dreams, what more could she possibly ask from the Almighty?

He tests me at every step, no doubt. But He also gives me the strength to endure and the wings to rise.

I have never believed in prayers as deeply as I did after this experience. Standing at the start line of the London Marathon, I truly felt that prayers can move mountains.

So do pray. Light a diya in your home every day. Pray with all your heart. Trust in Him. I just knew He would pull me through. It was only a matter of time to see how.

The London Marathon

The plan was simple. Just keep running.

Go slow.

Do not chase speed.

The goal was to finish with strong legs and a heart full of gratitude and joy.

And that is exactly what I did.

It was a warm day in London. Around 20 degrees, which honestly felt like peak summer in India. I poured more water over my head than I actually drank.

But the London crowd… absolutely unreal.

Oh my God. I do not think words can do justice to that energy. I always believed Indians were the loudest and best when it came to cheering :)

I was completely proven wrong.

I have never heard such deafening cheers in any country I have run in, including India. At times, you literally cannot hear yourself. Especially at the Tower Bridge, right around the halfway mark. The noise there felt like a packed cricket stadium at its peak.

It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I am so deeply grateful for it. To the one who wrote my life story, thank you for writing these beautiful chapters.

After the 30 km mark, I slowed down quite a bit because the heat was getting on me. And in that phase, I saw so many runners walking, limping, struggling.

It immediately took me back to Tokyo.

I could feel their pain. Every single one of them.

As I slowly passed them one by one, I found myself speaking to them silently, in my heart.

I know what you are feeling. I know it feels like you are losing everything right now. But a few races later, this moment will not define you. Life moves on. New experiences will come. Just keep going.

And I kept reminding myself, it is okay to be slow. At least you are still running.

Just keep going.