Coming in from Germany with a week of business meetings in Hyderabad ahead it is almost a miracle: This very weekend is the first edition of the GTR, the GreenSequr Trail Run, at Mancherial in Northern Telangana, also referred to as Gadpur forest Marathon. The event is a collaboration between the GreenSequr Foundation, an organization dedicated to reforestation and environmental protection, and the Telangana Forest Department. A delegation from the local Kawal Tiger Reserve is also involved. The fact that this is the first edition is very much an advantage: Everyone, including no less than 250 volunteers from the forest department, is working extra hard to get it right, thereby not just making it right but truly superb. The trail is well chosen, there are helpers and aid stations along the way every few hundred meters so that no one can get lost and no one remains thirsty or hungry. There are photographers, video cameramen, the local press, local politicians. And of course there is a great shirt, a medal, ample food after the run. But most of all it really feels like a family event, about 300 friends meeting to enjoy a wonderfully scenic area of Telangana.

The registration on the web is simple and done through iFinish timing services. You can register for 5, 10 or 30 km, which includes an elevation gain of up to 430 meters. If you need help with transport or accommodation, the organizers will help. From Hyderabad it is a trip of about 6 hours by train or car, depending on traffic and possible dinner breaks on the way. At Mancherial there is a central pick-up from where you are taken to the race site out in the forest, so that everyone will get there, no matter what means of travel are chosen. Many runners do make the journey from Hyderabad, but there are also many participants from the region. About 100 runners tackle the 30 km run, but every distance is really a run, not a race: People, including myself, come to enjoy, not stress themselves, most run, everyone walks at times, particularly uphill, and some only walk. A perfectly relaxed atmosphere that accommodates anyone who simply wants to be out in nature.

I go for the 30 km and start at 6:00, just at sunrise, everyone else follows at 6:30. The early start is perfect, as it is important to see the trail well but also not to get into the worst heat of the day. Plus being in the mountains just after sunrise give the landscape a special color and sparkle, in addition to the wonderful fragrance of the forest. The first two kilometers go down a road, then a sharp turn up the hills. They are fairly steep, very narrow trail, very rocky, and you never know whether a particular place is solid or loose, so you better tread very carefully. 3 kilometers being alert, enjoying the technical challenge, and also the rising sun in the back. As steep as it went up it goes down again and even more caution has to be taken, but this is what makes it a real trail run, not just a nature run. At kilometer 8 the hardest part is done and you can relax a little on sandy forest paths. Between kilometers 9 and 14 the main attraction and steep climbs again, but this time on solid rock: Gaandhaari Khilla and Gaandhaari Maisamma temple, which is carved into the rock, are not only a beautiful place but also offer several scenic viewpoints, all of which are visited along the trail. Many people consider this the most beautiful place in Northern Telangana. While the monsoon season has been a little weak in the area, the fields and forests are still lush green, the bedrock in the early morning of a striking orange to red hue and the birds and monkeys happy and noise in the trees. The pictures speak for themselves! Only the monkeys are to quick to catch. The second half of the trail is relatively flat and mostly shady. There are two river crossings which can be slippery, and there is ample heat. The most gruesome part is between kilometers 25 and 28, one straight footpath next to and old overgrown transport ropeway from the local coal mining industry, heading straight towards the sun. Beautiful, a light breeze blowing to cool you down, and yet also very hot. Really important to be properly hydrated, and while many runners do not carry any luggage, I am very happy with my running vest that includes 1 liter of water and electrolytic drink to stay safe. And as always in trail running it is no shame to walk, even if just for the heat, which reaches up to 38 °C that day. As a bonus, there were even some sturdy washrooms on the way. The final stretch is again shady, leading all the way to the beautifully draped finish line. I was a bit slower than expected, but still very satisfied: Timing was not so important to be better than others but to avoid the midday sun, which would have made it even more challenging. Kudos to all those runners that were still out on the trail at 11 and 12 and 13 h.

At the finish line first a medal, many pictures taken, great food and also dancing and singing, by performers but also participants. Fantastic if people who just spent hours running still have the positive energy to celebrate together!

For me personally it was a special day in two ways: First I happened to be one of only two international runners. This being India, this being the first time of this particular race and this being the first time for many participants and supporters, I have never been asked so many times in a single day to take pictures with people. And it was fun, I had a lot taken with my own camera as well. Also, I got a little interview by the regional newspaper Telangana Today and was included in a TV report on the run. Very flattering to be described as a “57-year-old fitness freak from Germany”… “who stole the show at the maiden marathon”. Secondly I was, by a happy coincidence, given the chance to ride the team bus with the Indira Park Tribe from Hyderabad, a jolly band of runners from the capital, that provided me with probably the most entertaining and well-spirited bus rides in my life. If you are in central Hyderabad, make sure to join them.

I have run dozens of races, trail and city, around the world and this event was certainly one of the best organized and most unique I have had the opportunity to join. Congratulations and a big thank you to the organizers! More than 100 positive and even elated notes after the run in the associated WhatsApp group say it all. I am fairly certain that this will not be the last time and that it is bound to attract more and more people over the coming years and become one of the truly ingenious runs in Telangana, combining the joys of nature and sports with a message of environmental protection and respect for this wonderful country and state.

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