The Satara Hill Half Marathon has been tremendously successful in a very short span. That itself speaks volumes about a very well organised event. The entire city receives and supports runners all over the country very warmly, from providing free home stay to cheering up the runners during the race.

I first ran the Satara hill marathon in 2014 and immediately fell in love with the intimidating yet picturesque route. Due to home commitments, I couldn't come back for 2 years but decided to do the 2017 edition with the intention of conquering the hill. The race has set standards to be matched by any other race till now. Everything needed in terms of race requirements is dot in place. I feel extremely honored to be the first recipient of the 'Kanchan Gawli memorial trophy' and it will always be treasured in the memory of a lovely mother and a runner. *Will definitely come back for future editions.*

The Satara Hill Ultra half marathon has been one of my favourite 21.1km races since its inception in 2012. There are several reasons why this half marathon is now, arguably one of the best in the world.

I ran the 2nd edition of the Satara Hill Half Marathon in 2014.  I had heard a lot about it from social media. Then I met Dr. Sandeep at the Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa. He told us wonderful stories about not just the race but also the town of Satara.  I was very curious to see it for myself. A hidden agenda which the Race organisers may not know was that my maternal grandmother was born in Satara and always told us wonderful stories of her childhood. So in some sense this was also a pilgrimage to my roots.

Satara Hill Half Marathon is close to my heart. Firstly, because it's a brainchild of my dear friend, Dr. Sandeep Kate, very strongly supported by all Satarakars. Secondly, because it is one of the toughest Hill marathons in the country and challenging routes always excite me. 

SHHM is a perfect race event organised by a group of runners and volunteers with in depth knowledge of running as a sport. Although a community based event, it has the look and feel of a world class event, organized in a most professional manner by a team of experts.