New Delhi, Oct. 11 -- In 2016, India joined the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), the global body of ultra running. The following year, they made their first appearance at the IAU 24-hour World Championship in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Ullas Hosahalli Narayana was a part of the four-member team. Though he had the experience of running longer on trails, both in terms of time and duration, he knew little about this particular format. Or the monotony of running in loops on a flat track for an entire day. He was prepared for the effort, but he had little idea on how to fuel or pace his run. Mental fatigue caught up long before the 24-hour mark. After covering 182.462km, he simply stopped running. "It was good to just dive int...