2023 World mountain running championships: Indian Sannat Sachdev's journey from a sedentary lifestyle to running in the mountains

The title races will be held in the Alps, in scenic places such as the Kalkkögel. (Representational image: Pixabay/Pexels)

A decade ago, Sannat Sachdev led a very different life. Those were days of academic pursuits and nights of revelry while away from it. On his way back to the hostel, there were times he would bump into spandex-clad runners and cyclists, breaking sweat during the predawn hours. The sight never failed to amuse him.

“I would really wonder - what is this world, who are these people and why are they doing this,” Sachdev, 30, says, chuckling.

Today, he would perhaps outrun all of those folks. It’s been a journey that’s often needed life-altering decisions and a single-minded focus. But after years of contemplation, he has finally managed to find the clarity that’s allowing him to relentlessly pursue his targets. One of those goals is representing India at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Austria; the races this year are from June 6-10.

“It was a relief when they announced the team in April, because I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long,” he says.

A different world

While growing up in Jaipur, sports was an afterthought for Sachdev. He preferred debates and theatre and aced his studies at school. His first memory of running is during the ragging sessions at the Chandigarh College of Architecture.

“The freshers had to go fetch while the seniors played volleyball. I would be more than happy to do anything, running around silly, since I was getting my first feel of life away from home. After a point, they just left me alone since it wasn’t fun anymore,” he says, laughing.

The monotony of work life was the trigger. A weekend of cycling in 2016 gave him his first feel of the outdoors. Here on, he took up everything from running to hiking, altering his lifestyle over time. By 2017, he had run his first marathon in Mumbai, clocking 4 hours 50 minutes. Over the next year, he grew as a runner and by the time he was at the next edition of the same race, he had logged 3 hours 38 minutes.

“It was a lot of learning during the runs. In the beginning, I would maintain a very fast pace and burn out towards the end. Then during other times, I would change my timing goals mid-race, go really hard and get injured. So, I decided to get into structured training, a lot of reading and listening to podcasts on running,” he says.

Trail running beckons

Just getting faster wasn’t his objective. He wanted new challenges and decided to give trail races a go. In the run-up to the 50km distance at the Malnad Ultra in October 2018, he took on shorter trail runs that gave him his first feel of running outside of road races.

“On road, it’s all about improving your time. There wasn’t an added challenge to it or a crazy goal that was just about realistic,” he says.

“On trails, there’s always an adventure awaiting you around the corner. Besides, no two trails can be the same. There is difficulty in the terrain, the elevation gain and how the landscape changes. This is what excites me and continues to draw me towards the trails,” he says.

Though he struggled to get to the finish of the Malnad Ultra, he was satisfied with the experience. Trail running was the direction he wanted to set out in.

An injury in 2019 was a setback for his goals, but it also gave him the time to contemplate and organise his affairs during the six months away from running.

“Quite honestly, I didn’t have the mental fortitude of an athlete. And with every injury, I would feel really dejected since running was a very important part of my life by this time,” he says.

Mountain high

It’s when he first considered moving to the mountains to train. He started taking short trips to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, soaking in life at altitude and meeting others who had shifted base in the past. His partner and now wife, Saanya, was alongside him, as they evaluated their choices. Clear of the plan ahead, Sachdev soon quit his job to focus on running.

The next goal was audacious, a podium finish at the Solang Sky Ultra (30km) in October 2020. A few months before the race, he started training under Kieren D’Souza, one of India’s top trail runners. Finishing third handed him the validation that though he had a long way to go, he was on the right track. And moving to the mountains was the next logical step for the training.

“It was important to plan in advance and try to mitigate the risks as much as I could. I wanted to chase holistic growth, rather than just competitive goals,” he says.

By early 2020, Sachdev had moved to Bir in Himachal to set things in order. A few days later, however, he found himself stranded due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It was the best thing that could have happened to me. I had a very basic life, learning to cook and take care of myself, a good training routine while I was working through all my personal philosophies and sorting myself out. And Saanya was happy to move there after marriage, so it all worked out,” he says.

The big one

Sachdev started building an endurance base for his running. He would spend long hours on the trails around Bir, not bothered by the monotony of treading the same route each day and instead, focusing on learning and improving. He gained an understanding of elevation, worked on strength and mobility, and how to move more efficiently.

“I picked my races and went after quality and performance during training. In hindsight, that maturity really helped me,” he adds.

The results followed, as he took second position at the Solang Sky Ultra (30km) in 2021, as well as the Buddha Trails (30km) the following year. It sparked the dream of running at the world championships yet again - Sachdev had missed the qualifying mark at the Eiger Ultra Trail in Switzerland in July 2022. A lot was at stake then when he decided to make another attempt at the Malnad Ultra.

“I had now grown as a runner and the world championships sounded like a good goal to train for. I had to make enough points at Malnad to qualify for it, so I started working towards it,” he says.

Besides just training, he kept himself motivated by working on his German skills that would be put to good use in Austria. It was a long wait, but Sachdev eventually made the cut, even as he gears up for his biggest race yet.

“I like to race hard, so I’ve set an audacious goal of finishing in the top-50. It scares me because the competition there is intense. Then again, this is the motivation I need to put in a satisfying performance,” he says.