Taher Merchant

Businessman, Ultra-Marathon Runner

Taher is a 35-year-old Bangalorean and also the first Indian Male to finish the Everest Base Camp Ultra Marathon 2018. It's a 60km Marathon, also known as the world's highest ultra-running event which Taher completed in 19 hrs, 15 mins and 10 secs. The trail is a fantastic route, as you can imagine, passing through five Himalayan Passes.

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I started running with my wife, Soraya as we both wanted to spend some quality time exercising and getting healthier.

 As parents and busy professionals, we werenʼt always making time for self-care and running was our introduction to it. We started running in Rani Kittur Chennama stadium near our house in Jayanagar. As my fitness level and energy levels improved, I realized that I truly enjoyed running and wanted
to train to participate in future marathons.

I ran a few marathons in 2014 and 2015 and recognized that to further develop my running technique and endurance, Iʼd need professional coaching. This led to my joining the Jayanagar Jaguars in 2016. Under Coach Pramodʼs tutelage and mentorship, I was able to dramatically improve my running technique and endurance over several marathons.


In the last few years, I've run a couple or rather tons of Ultramarathons

Here's the complete list


2014

  • Ladakh Marathon
  • Sriram Properties
  • Bengaluru Marathon
  • TCS World 10K


2015

  • Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon
  • Airtel Delhi Half Marathon
  • Airtel Hyderabad Marathon
  • Ajmera Thump Half Marathon
  • Nise Gel Goa Marathon
  • TCS World 10k
  • Kaveri Trail Half Marathon
  • Run In The Sun Half Marathon
  • Sriram Properties Bengaluru Marathon


2016

  • Ladakh Marathon
  • TCS World10k
  • Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon


2017

  • Jawadhu Hills Ultra-marathon
  • TCS World 10k
  • Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon
  • Ladakh Marathon
  • Ramnagara Marathon
  • Sriram Properties
  • Bengaluru Marathon
  • Spirit Of Wipro Run 10k


2018

  • The Tenzing Hillary Everest Extreme Ultra-marathon
  • The Ooty Ultra-marathon
  • Tata Mumbai Marathon
  • Ramnagara Marathon
  • Standard Chartered
  • Singapore Marathon – 42 km
  • Malnad Ultra-marathon – 50 km
  • Tuffman Coorg – 70 km
  • Paradise Trails Goa – 101 km


In 2018, I achieved a personal milestone....

I became the first Indian male to successfully complete the Tenzing Hillary Everest Extreme Ultra-marathon. The Tenzing Hillary Everest Extreme Ultra-marathon Hailed as one of the toughest marathons in the world and I was the 1st Indian Male to ever successfully complete this grueling Ultra-marathon.

It was an incredible journey, one that I have been dreaming of!

Now that Iʼve successfully completed the Everest Extreme Ultramarathon, I am aspiring towards running multi-day races spanning several hundred kms.

These are amongst the most challenging races on the planet due to the extremity of the terrain, weather conditions and the demands it puts on the human body. I want to conquer them, plain and simple.

In my upcoming races, Iʼll be slowly increasing the distance run per race to further increase my endurance. My goal is to build and maintain that momentum in the months to come.


As every runner knows, success is the amalgamation of tangibles and intangibles.

The intangibles comprise of intense physical conditioning, mental agility, endurance and discipline. The tangibles consist of the physical elements that provide comfort as we run, nourish our bodies and propel us forward.

My goal, as a runner, is to help create a platform where I can not only inspire other runners to achieve their dreams in India and the global stage but also highlight tangible products that Iʼve personally used and that have helped me achieve success in my running career. 

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