Mayank Vaid has become the first Indian and Asian to have completed the toughest competition in the world, the Enduroman is a Triathalon. The competition takes place from England to France and involves swimming, cycling and running. Vaid performed exceedingly well throughout the competition and took everyone by surprise as he broke the world record by completing the race in 50 hours and 24 minutes. Previously the record was held by Julien Denyer of Belgium who completed the ‘Enduroman – Arch to Arc’ triathlon in 52 hours and 30 minutes.
Enduroman Triathlon comprises of three events – a 140-km run, swimming across English Channel, and 289.7-km cycling. It is considered to be the ultimate test of an athlete’s mental and physical stamina.
The Triathlon starts at England with a 140-km run from London’s Marble Arch to Dover, followed by a cross-English Channel swim to the French coast. The showdown of the triathlon happens in Paris with a 289.7-km bike ride from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe. Till now only 44 athletes completed the triathlon and now Mayank has become the 45th person to do so.
The 41-year-old Vaid is a Hong Kong-based Indian and a lawyer by profession. He became the fastest Indian on the planet in May 2017 after finishing the Ultraman Australia, a three-day 515 km endurance race in Queensland. Speaking about his victory Mayank told The Indian Express, “The swim and bike sections were hard. Especially going sleepless for more than 50 hours. The most challenging part is when a swimmer starts to see the French coast and that’s when the mind plays games. I was told by one of my swimming buddies, ‘when you see the coast don’t raise your head again to look for the coast. It’s a mirage. Keep swimming.”
