Hans raj's resting heart rate sits around 47 to 48 in Kashmir. In Ladakh, at over 11,000 feet, it climbs past 70, without him doing anything at all. In this episode of Run with Fitpage, Vikas Singh talks to Hans raj, the winner of Ladakh marathon- 2025 and HM of 2022 and 2023 editions. Hans raj grew up in Kathua started running after joining the police force, and worked his way from track training into half marathons and eventually full marathons at altitudes most runners never train at, including Gulmarg and Kargil. He talks through what actually happens to the body at extreme altitude, why arriving even nine to ten days before a race was not enough time to adapt, and the pacing mistake that cost him in his first attempt at Ladakh before a more controlled, patient strategy got him onto the podium. The conversation covers hydration and electrolyte balance in dry mountain air, why carb loading needs to be rethought above 11,000 feet, and why he trains and races in exactly the same kit, down to gloves and sleeves, that he has already tested at the same time of day as the actual race. This is an episode with practical tips for anyone planning to race the Ladakh Marathon, or any high altitude event, for the first time. In this episode we covered - Growing up in Kathua and starting to run after joining the J&K Police in 2016Moving from track and field training into half marathons, and later representing J&K Police at the Ladakh MarathonThe stark difference in resting heart rate between Kashmir and Ladakh, and what that signals about how hard the body is working at altitudeWhy arriving only nine to ten days before the Ladakh Marathon was not enough time to acclimatize, in two separate attemptsThe training mistake of pushing a hard session too early after arriving at altitude, and how it affected his raceTraining for full marathons at high altitude spots in Kashmir like Gulmarg, and later basing himself in Kargil ahead of a race in LadakhHis recommendation that runners coming from sea level allow three weeks, ideally a month, to acclimatize before racing in LadakhThe pacing strategy of starting deliberately conservative rather than matching local Ladakh runners early, which helped him finish on the podiumWhy heart rate, not pace, should guide effort at altitude, since normal race paces do not hold upManaging hydration and electrolytes in dry mountain air, including the risk of both dehydration and overhydrationWhy he avoids trying any new food or water at altitude, and instead carries familiar meals and packaged water from homeTesting race day clothing and warm up routines in training sessions timed to match the actual race start, given how sharply the weather changes through the morningAbout Vikas Singh: Vikas Singh, an MBA from Chicago Booth, worked at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, APGlobale, and Reliance before coming up with the idea of democratizing fitness knowledge and helping beginners get on a fitness journey. Vikas is an avid long-distance runner, building fitpage to help people learn, train, and move better. For more information on Vikas, or to leave any feedback and requests, you can reach out to him via the channels below: Instagram: @vikas_singhh LinkedIn: Vikas Singh Twitter: @vikashsingh101 Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!
