Building the stamina to run on a treadmill for 20 minutes is hard enough. Now imagine swimming 10km, then cycling over 420km and running over 84km in a 36 hour period, spread over three days, over Australia’s rolling terrain and unpredictable weather. That would require a different kind of obsession, right? This obsession is the basis for finishing the Ultraman Down Under course. It is, after all, the toughest triathlon race in the world.

Ingit Anand, 39, and Sidharth Yadav, 47, were two of the 45 entrants at Ultraman Australia this year. Both Indians finished the race, which spans three days and has a 12-hour limit to complete the day’s task. The first day is 10 km of swimming followed by 145 km of cycling, with a positive difference in altitude of 1470 m. The second day was 276 km of cycling with a positive elevation gain of 2250 meters. The third day, the hardest, included a double marathon race: 84.3 km in 12 hours with a positive difference in altitude of 780 meters.

“It’s the elevation and terrain of this country that makes Ultraman Australia the toughest Ultraman race in the world,” says Anand, who has also finished five Ironman races. “Ironman races are a one day event. They are also fully compatible, unlike Ultraman races where you need your own gear,” he adds.

Yadav explains the challenges that include following all the rules of the road while running and biking and making sure all of that counts as part of your time. “It was uncharted territory. Flat tires, lots of rain, rolling hills and an ocean that is good for surfing, which we had to swim in,” says the Gurgaon-based self-proclaimed ‘corporate guy’ who has been racing since 2011.

Preparing for Ultraman is not a one man job. Anand had a former Ultraman racer, a friend who lives in Melbourne, and his wife, who is also a nutritionist and triathlete, as his crew. Anand is also the only Indian athlete on a plant-based diet to complete the Ultraman.

What’s fascinating about the Ultraman is how athletes prepare differently, based on factors such as previous experience, dietary restrictions, age, injuries, and the ability to assemble a reliable team. “I wanted to complete this event with a low heart rate and no injury, so I was aiming to complete my day in 11 hours. I don’t calculate calories, so my formula was to consume between 80 and 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour,” says Yadav.

Anand’s calculations were different: “This is the only time I calculated calories because I don’t normally like to do that. We found that the sweet spot for me was eating as many calories as I burned per hour. That means 500 calories an hour using plant-based foods like sandwiches, avocados and other dense fruits, potatoes, berries, energy gels, and nutrient-packed, replenishing balls.”

Anand finished 21st out of 45 entrants. The oldest competitor this year was 64 years old and also finished the race. Which can surely make one think that anyone can finish a career that sounds so daunting. For Yadav, who travels a lot for his job, it was about keeping up to 8-10 hours of training a week.

The first step, a decade ago, was to run the Prague marathon as a relay with friends. He then tried Ironman in Goa when he first came to India, and triathlons have been his passion ever since. “I was always an athlete, but never an ultra runner. It took me four years of triathlon events to prepare for the Ultraman, but if you’re an active person, you can start now and aim to finish the world’s toughest endurance race five years later.”

Five years is a great ballpark of consistency. But for Anand, it all comes down to basing his life on drag racing. “Triathlons and I are inseparable. This is my life, it is my identity.” he says. “Preparing for Ultraman has to be a long and constant effort. You can prepare for a marathon in three months: you will start and finish. So you can probably do the first day in Ultraman, but can you do the second day? And run a double marathon on the third day? Some of the 50 finished before me, so there is always room for improvement”, he adds.

It is also a mental battle. Yadav kept a diary during the race, and this is his entry from day two: “I had 45 minutes to complete the last 10km. He was charging and excited to get to the finish line. The climb I was negotiating didn’t dampen my spirits one bit, but the late gear change broke the chain on the bike…”

The Ultraman is also an invite-only event. One has to write them a cover letter and provide background evidence of aptitude and stamina to win a call. Thousands apply and 50 are chosen based on multiple factors including objective and subjective calls. There is nothing to suggest that the former winners are still being chosen. The organizers like an eclectic mix of people from various corners of the world, at different stages of their resistance journey.

At the end of the rush of finishing Ultraman, Yadav sums it up in three words: “Overwhelming, yet rewarding.”

Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator and writer.