Becoming Superman

Mayank Vaid, who is the fastest Indian to complete the Ultraman, is now gearing up for his first hundred-miler — Run the Rann.

- Alshaar Khan

“FITNESS IS A DELICIOUS butter cookie served with a cup of sweat.” Not exactly how your January gym goer would refer to fitness, but it’s this unconventional, borderline-romantic passion that defines Mayank Vaid, a Hong Kong-based lawyer who casually signed up for his first half-marathon without consulting his wife, Theresa (he goes to the extent of asking me not to tell her about it). Within two years of training, he has pulled off Ultraman Australia, with a ridiculous timing of 26:04:01, finishing 12th overall, and faster than any other Indian on the planet. The triathlete is now gearing up for his toughest challenge, Run the Rann — a single stage, GPS navigated desert quadruple (161 km) marathon — this month.