New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) Fifty-six-year-old NDRF Deputy Inspector General Mohsen Shahedi completed his 218th marathon at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday, clocking 1:55:07 in the 21-km race, and is now setting his sights on more gruelling challenges.
The race was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Shahedi’s latest feat follows his participation in the 72-km Khardung La Challenge Ultra Marathon in Ladakh in September, where runners reached an altitude of 17,618 feet amid sub-zero temperatures in the morning and intense heat by noon.
Speaking to PTI, Shahedi said his running journey began soon after he joined the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 1994. As part of his training at Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh, he had to undergo a 40-km Battle Physical Efficiency Test (BPET).
“It all began with me joining the service and the first recognised marathon I took part in was when I was in the UN Mission in Kosovo as part of the Indian Special Police Unit in 2000,” he said.
The Danish battalion traditionally organised a 100-km ‘Dancon Death March’ in the Serbian mountains. Shahedi and a colleague braved the challenging conditions to finish first among 197 participants from 56 countries, clocking 13 hours and 15 minutes.
There was no looking back after that.
Shahedi said his running routine was revived when he joined the National Security Guard (NSG), the country’s federal counter-terrorism commando force, on deputation in 2012.
“With today’s run, I have completed 218 marathons, which include a few in Africa and Europe and about 10 international marathons that were run virtually,” he said.
Shahedi, who currently heads the operations unit of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said balancing his official responsibilities with running, particularly finding time to train on weekends, was a challenge. Over the years, however, running has become a passion, and he has motivated hundreds of people to stay fit and healthy.
He has had a career in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, serving in affected regions such as Manipur, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir, where he led troops from the front.
He has carried the same spirit into sports, leading the NDRF team at the Goa Ironman event in 2022, 2024 and 2025. The team secured all three podium positions in 2024, he said.
“We are preparing for the Goa Ironman that is scheduled to be held in November,” Shahedi said, adding that his running journey would continue. PTI NES
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