Pune engineer, from Odisha, completes 50 km mountain trek in one hour less than cut-off time. Who is Rahul Kumar Behera?

When he is not writing code, Rahul Kumar Behera from Berhampur is busy creating history in trekking. The 29-year-old recently completed a challenging 50-kilometre Mountain Ultra marathon through the rugged terrain of the Sahyadri Mountains, enduring harsh summer conditions and challenging elevations along the way. Demonstrating remarkable stamina, determination, and mental resilience, he crossed the finish line in 12 hours and 59 minutes, comfortably finishing within the event’s strict 14-hour cut-off limit.

Rahul has become the talk of the town in Berhampur since he achieved the seemingly impossible. A resident of Chandramani Peta in Berhampur, Rahul is currently employed as a mechanical engineer in Pune.

He developed an interest in endurance sports when he joined a gym five years ago. His fitness routine led him to explore mountain running and he became addicted to trek difficult terrains. According to a ETV Bharat report, he gradually built the strength, endurance, and physical resilience needed to advance from participating in 10-kilometre mountain races to conquering a demanding 50-kilometre ultra-distance event, in just three years.


The event was held at the Great Mawla Ghaati in the Bhor region near Pune. The race required participants to navigate rocky trails and climb a vertical elevation gain of 3,020 metres.

He was also one of the few competitors to complete the race without sufering any injury or muscle cramps.

In a chat with ETV Bharat, Rahul shared the regimen which helped him build endurance. “Despite working six days a week in a demanding corporate job, I follow a strict fitness regime. I do 1.5 hours of daily gym training and stretching, along with challenging mountain training sessions every Sunday,” he explained.

His family clarified that his love affair with sports started after he shifted to Pune and as a child, he showed no signs of athleticism or displayed an affinity to sports. “The family has always supported his passion and we are happy that he could accomplish the feat,” said Purnachandra. “Sports was never his primary focus during childhood, his interest in endurance athletics grew after moving to Pune,” said Pushpalakshmi to the magazine.

Having earned a lot of medals and trophies in mountaineering and endurance events in the last few years, Rahul is now aiming to completing a 100-km mountain ultra by December.