Team Motiv8 athlete Sumitra Joshi displayed, in her usual determined fashion, boundless grit and focus during training – and of course on race day – to garner a huge PB at Amsterdam Marathon 2022 by crossing the finish line in 4:03.

Speaking about her overall experience, Sumitra said:

“This year’s tagline for Amsterdam Marathon was “Run your masterpiece” It’s true. I did. A lifetime moment & I will always cherish the memories of this race . Running this race was in my bucketlist for last couple of years! Finally got opportunity to run on 16th Oct! This was my 1 st live marathon after 2.5 years gap.”

When commenting about her training, she said:

“This time my approach towards training was different. Earlier I use to hit the paces on the faster side but in this training cycle i did easy runs very easy . Mostly by feel without looking at pace . My focus was more on Sunday’s aerobic runs . There were ups n downs in training cycle. I couldn’t complete my 1 st 32k run and even last 32k i felt low energy levels. No decent half marathon race during this training cycle. Knowing all this i was not expecting any miracles in race 😅. Coach knew my training and gave a perfect plan to execute on race day”

Recalling the race day, Sumitra said:

“Though this marathon has a flat route still there were mini climbs along the canal .The route passes through gardens & 60% along the canals which was the most scenic part of the race. It was raining continuously till the race start time. For me shivering in cold and wind was tough. I tried to keep myself warm till the flag off.

Running along with 18000 other runners helped ! First time in a race, I started the first 5k very conservatively! That was a game changer! Keeping the pace in control and following body signals. GPS was a major issue. So I kept watch on every 5km marker and the time completed. Eventually, I found my rhythm & started enjoying the race. I overtook many runners after half way. After completing 22K,  I knew i will get my PB for sure 😊. I kept constant efforts and was feeling strong till 35kms . There was a bit struggle in last 7k but I tried my best and kept moving. Volunteers were shouting & cheering with our names which helped a lot.”

On crossing the finish, an emotional Sumitra said:

“Crossing the finish line strong with a big smile was an achievement! First thought that came in my mind was that I really did run my masterpiece 🏃‍♀️ It was not only my personal best by 13 minutes, but I executed the race well and finished strong 💪A journey from 4:58 full marathon to 4:03 strong marathon with consistency & handwork ! Thanks to my coach & team who always help me to give my best!”