The Virtual London Marathon 2020

A Century Away in Five Years

This is an attempt to capture a memory from what feels like a lifetime ago. Although we are now in 2026, the year 2020—the time of the pandemic—feels like a century back.

Looking through my photos recently, I realized I didn’t have much to share on social media or in my digital diary regarding a major milestone: my one and only international marathon. It wasn’t just any race; it was one of the World Marathon Majors.

The Best Deal in Running

During the pandemic, virtual events became the new norm. I was told about the Virtual London Marathon, where you could run the distance from home. I signed up in August for 25 British Pounds.

The best part of the deal? Everyone who signed up was confirmed. There was no lottery and no need to be in the “lucky 1%” to get a bib.

The Plan: Hesaraghatta Wetlands

The rules were simple: as soon as the clock hit midnight GMT on Sunday, you had 24 hours to complete 42.2 kilometers. Virtual London Marathon in 2020 took place on Sunday, October 4th, 2020.

Thankfully, my former running group, Pacemakers, had many participants. Karthik Anand, an incredible organizer, arranged everything meticulously. The plan was to run around the Hesaraghatta Wetland Lake. During the pandemic, Hesaraghatta was like my backyard; I cycled there almost every other day.

We used an official app from TCS to track our run via GPS. The organizers were generous—there was no stipulated cut-off time like six hours; you just had to finish within the 24-hour window. Since India is 5.5 hours ahead of GMT, the race window started early in the morning for us.

The Wall

I reached Hesaraghatta a little late and started running solo. A friend, Mohan, kindly rode along with me on his bike for a while before heading off to his own commitments.

I hit the 20km halfway mark, then reached 30km. By then, the other runners who had started earlier were heading home. I was alone on the road. I had my car parked nearby with plenty of hydration and food, but mentally, I hit a massive roadblock.

Within 500 meters, I developed severe cramps. My body simply collapsed. Usually, I am quite “picky” (perhaps a bit of ADHD regarding cleanliness)—I don’t even like putting my backpack on the floor. But that day, I lay down right on the road.

The Rescue

Because it was the pandemic, the outskirts of Bangalore were deserted. I managed to call Karthik, and he arranged for volunteers on scooters to find me. When they arrived, I was fully conscious but my lower body had completely given up.

They helped me onto the scooter—a painful process—and took me back to my car. Coach Pani looked after me and gave me tender coconut water. It wasn’t just dehydration; it was a mental surrender. I knew the distance, but I wasn’t prepared for the “mental give-up.”

The Final 10 Kilometers

I drove home, took a hot shower, had lunch, and napped. By 4:00 PM IST, 12 hours had passed in the GMT window. I still had 10km to go.

I decided not to abandon the race. I went down to my apartment complex, which has a 1km circular path. I’ve run it many times, though it’s far from my favorite place. To get through the monotony, I spent the final 10km on the phone with friends in India and overseas. I explained that I needed them to keep me talking and virtually motivated for every step.

If you see the Garmin Activity you see the weired line connecting my apartment and Hesaraghatta lake.

The “Gift” from Customs

Weeks later, I received a notification that my medal and T-shirt had arrived. However, I had to pay Indian Customs an extra tax just to receive them!

The London Marathon is eco-sensitive, so the packaging was entirely paper. The heavy metal medal had actually started tearing through the paper during transit from all the shuffling. Thankfully, it arrived without major damage—a beautiful memento of a difficult time.

Reflections

Looking back five and a half years later, the pandemic was a strange, transformative era. For those of us who survived without major damage, it brought out a “better version” of humanity. People played less politics, gossiped less, and spent more time with family.

As we move forward, it feels like many have returned to their old vanities. But this memory remains—a reminder of a time when the world slowed down, and we found ways to keep moving, even if it was just one lap around the apartment at a time.