Defence personnel, doctors among participants of 2nd edition of Race Across India 2024

Mumbai: People from all walks of life including from the Armed Forces, doctors, and visually-impaired cyclists will be participating in the 2nd edition of Race Across India, which will start in Srinagar on October 10. After travelling through 12 states and a variety of terrain, the prestigious race will conclude at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

Among the visually impaired participants are Sagar Vasant Bodake and Ajay Lalwani from Nashik. While Bodake's cycling achievements span over 11,500 km across Maharashtra, including challenging routes like Dadar to the Statue of Unity, Lalwani has successfully completed Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai in seven days and Mumbai-Kashmir-Kanyakumari-Mumbai in 45 days.

Among the other notable participants are Deepak Amin, a solo rider, and Dr Amit Samarth, a pioneering Indian cyclist. Amin has completed the Seattle to Portland ride and is now preparing for his first major challenge in endurance cycling. Dr. Amit is the first Indian to complete the 5,000-kilometre Race Across America (RAAM) in its 37-year history. He is also the first Indian rookie and the only Asian to win the Trans-Siberian Extreme, a gruelling 9,100-kilometre race, holding both a Guinness World Record and a World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA) record for 6,000 kilometres.

Among the solo riders above 50 years is Hyderabad-based Bobba Reddy, the organisers informed in a release on Wednesday. The other rider is Dr. Prakash Gopal Sharbidre, a Consultant Nephrologist from Kolhapur. An avid ultra cyclist, Dr. Sharbidre is a Super Randonneur and has completed the Deccan Cliffhanger twice.

Wing Commander Vikrant Uniyal, a 43-year-old officer in the Indian Air Force and a resident of Dehradun, is also a participant. His remarkable journey includes several expeditions such as the Siachen to Kargil cycling expedition (2018), Chadar Trek (2019), Mt. Kailash Mansarovar (2016), and the Ladakh Marathon (2018).

Nikhil Ramesh Bahekar, who began cycling in 2021 and Amitkumar Chandrakant Kamble, a Head Constable in Maharashtra Police, are also among the participants, the organisers said.

Among the international participants is Krzysztof Fechner from Zielona Góra, Poland, who has competed in ultramarathons across the globe. He finished second in Race Around Poland and 8th in Race Across America.