Doha-based ultrarunner chases Ironman dream

A Doha-based ultrarunner is eyeing more achievements while imparting strong messages on health awareness.Indian expatriate Noufal C C is all set to take part in the upcoming Riyadh and Mumbai marathons."My dream is to achieve the Ironman title after completing the series of long-distance triathlon races that consist of a 2.4-mile (3.9km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.2km) run,” Noufal told Gulf Times.In December 2023, Noufal completed the 90km ultramarathon from Doha to Dukhan. He finished first among the 120 runners. For Noufal, his accomplishment in the ultramarathon was the fruit of years-long training and practice, under coach Rajendra Yadav."I start my training and practice early in the morning. I start to walk randomly after parking my car somewhere. Sometimes, I need to take a taxi to reach my car after walking for hours,” he recalled.Little did Noufal know when he reached Doha in 2013, that years later he would venture into ultrarunning. "Covid-19 changed everything and left us all more health conscious. I started to engage in physical activities to beat the lifestyle diseases.”Later, Noufal joined Wellness Challengers, a group of walking and running enthusiasts in Qatar, and started to attend health awareness programmes while taking part in regular physical activities.At Wellness Challengers, members use Strava app to track exercise. The status of physical engagement is shared in the app along with pictures of the location. Wellness Challengers helped Noufal get acquainted with like-minded people and to be instilled with a passion for conquering new heights. Noufal owes much to his friends at Wellness Challengers, his wife Adila Marjana and sons Zahran Mohamed and Mohamed Zayn for their support of his ventures."I want to inspire and draw more people towards walking and running. Physical engagement is inevitable for both physical and mental health,” Noufal added.