I have always wanted to do the SRT Ultra. Partly because it’s one of the oldest trail races in the country, and partly because of what the route stands for. The history of the forts, the rawness of the terrain, and the fact that I lived in Pune for three years long back, all of it kept pulling me towards this race.
This year, it finally lined up. One of Tripole’s resellers decided to collaborate with SRT Ultra and put up a stall at the bib expo. Honestly, I didn’t need another reason not to attempt it.
Why SRT, and Why Trail Running
I started running about five years back, and trail running has always been a part of that journey. Monthly runs with Capital Trails Club in Delhi, and a bunch of mountain races over the years - trails are where running feels most honest to me.
This is actually the first time I’m writing about my experience at a trail race.
SRT now has four categories, 10K, 25K, 50K, and 100K. The name comes from Sinhagad, Raigad, and Torna forts, with the 100K also including the Lingana Fort.
I’ve always believed that people who do more than 30K on trails with serious elevation are a different breed altogether. Superhumans. Since I clearly don’t belong to that category (yet), I stick to sub-30K races. The 25K at SRT comes with roughly 1,000 metres of elevation gain, challenging enough to keep you honest, without completely breaking you.
The Route (and a Few Extra “Medals”)
The first 1 km is on the road. After that, the Sinhagad climb begins.
This climb is roughly 4 km long and accounts for most of the elevation in the race. Like almost everyone else, I walked most of this section. This is where trekking poles really earn their place.
Once on top of the fort, the next 3 km is a mix of rolling ups and downs - runnable, but never flat enough to switch off. The section runs through ankle length grass playing with your feet as you run on arguably the most beautiful ridge in the Western Ghats. The descent begins soon after.
The descent is tricky. Loose rocks, uneven footing, and gravity doing its thing. This is also where I earned a few extra “medals” on the way down while trying to go faster than I should have.
At this point, I packed my poles back into the hydration bag and used my hands to balance and move faster. The SRT team had thoughtfully put up ropes in some sections, but honestly, I felt the ropes caused more falls than they prevented. I stayed away from them as much as possible. Fun fact: There was a 100 metre traffic jam of runners at one point due to one section which ended up being quite tricky for a lot of runners.
The last 9 km is mostly flat - village roads initially, then full tarmac, ending just before the climb to Raigad Fort begins.
Fueling-wise, I sipped water or energy drink every 5-7 minutes and popped an energy gel every 40-45 minutes. Finished the race in 4 hours 30 minutes to the sound of dhol and drowned myself in curd rice at the finish line. A cab is arranged for runners back to the start point. Please note this area does not have much network (Zero Airtel network) and you only get network once you are back near Sinhagad start.
The Vibe
The volunteers are the soul of this event.
They’re everywhere on the course, constantly pushing you forward with chants of “Jai Shivaji” and “Jai Bhawani”. Over 1,000 runners registered with strong local presence. For many locals, Sinhagad is a weekly ritual, which explains why I saw people climbing like they were walking, without poles.
The energy was unreal, largely because of how intensely people were moving through the course.
Aid Stations
- One aid station at the top of the fort
- One after the descent
- One Red Bull stall about 5 km before the finish
I usually avoid aid station food and drinks.
Weather
Cold in the morning.
Hot after 9 AM - especially during the descent and you leave the village for the last 5 km is where you are fully exposed.
Gear:
- Tripole Voir Hydration Bag
- 2-litre hydration bladder
- 2 × 500 ml soft flasks (filled with energy salts)
- Trekking poles
- 7 X 80kCal energy gels
- Cap and Glasses (which I lost on the way down, perhaps on one of the falls)
- Shorts and T-shirt (slightly cold in the morning, but worth it once the sun came out)
- Saucony Peregrine trail shoes
This race was also a field test for the new socks we’re currently developing; always good to test gear where it actually matters.
Bib Expo and Tripole at SRT
One of our resellers hosted the Tripole stall, which meant I didn’t have to worry about logistics and could focus entirely on engaging with runners.
There were two expos, one in the city and one closer to the start point. One interesting addition at the expo was a live performance featuring mock combat and choreographed duel set to traditional Marathi music, which really added to the vibe
I really enjoyed speaking with fellow runners, helping them think through their gear choices for race day. The next morning, seeing so many Tripole packs out on the course was genuinely satisfying. As trail running grows in India, it’s encouraging to see runners becoming more conscious about the gear they use.
Training for SRT (While Living in Delhi)
I average 30–40 km per week. The only specific addition I made for SRT was a 30-minute stair climbing session, up and down the boring stairs of my society. That’s pretty much the only way to simulate climbing while living in Delhi.
Basic strength training (though I’ve been lagging for a few months) and daily post-run physio are what keep me going.
Things you do to run in the mountains.
Closing Thoughts
In the end, I’m just grateful.
Grateful to the people who organize events like SRT.
Grateful that I can run events like these.
And grateful that the mountains still let us experience them in different ways, sometimes through views, sometimes through fatigue, and sometimes through a few well-earned bruises.
Until the next trail.
