Durshet: A green Marathon

It's yet another Marathon, but this time with a difference. It is away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Few kms from Khopoli, a small village - Durshet, amid the forests, along the bank of the Amba River and into the belly of the Khandala valley. The Run promised to supersede all the previous ones by a fair margin. And to top it all, we had our families to double up as our cheerleaders. 

We had booked rooms for ourselves at the Durshet Forest lodge, the race venue, since the night before the race. However, due to circumstances beyond control, we were accommodated at another resort, 15 km away. After some serious arguments, we were finally adjusted at Durshet itself. 

The evening was spent at the Nature's trail activities;  

Zip lining, 

Tarzan swinging 

and Rappelling. Dinner was served and it was time to retire early. 

The previous night's fiasco had given the impression that the race may not be managed professionally but we were in for a pleasant surprise. The event was conducted with hardly any fallacies. 

The 10 km run took us away from the Khopoli-Pali Road and into the heart of the Sahyadris. 

The weather was awesome. A light drizzle had turned the green trees into a forest of fresh greens.

  

The soothing sound of the river flowing alongside was a calming influence on the nerves. The run had to be experienced to be believed. Kilometer after kilometer rolled by. The legs didn't seem to give up and finally they took the body over the finish line. 

It was yet another personal record. 

The race was followed by a pool party. 

Medals, DJ, trophies, and a sumptuous breakfast followed. 

The day wasn't over yet. There was more to come. After a quick shower for the sweat studded marathoners, we drove down the same route which we had tread earlier in the day on foot.

The road was just about motorable but the effort was worth every bit.