Not only Farhan Akhtar, even Milkha Singh could be proud of The Faith Runner

When Farhan Akhtar brilliantly transformed himself for the epic Milkha Singh-movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, it was a delight to watch his wondrous feat. But not all achievers get the mileage Bollywood stars get. Like what Samir Singh is doing for a hundred days is yet another mind-boggling adventure in itself. Samir is not an actor, nor is he prepping for a movie. He’s purely a runner and like all runners, in awe of the legendary Milkha Singh — The Flying Sikh. And because of Samir’s strong spiritual beliefs and his faith in Lord Krishna, he’s fondly called The Faith Runner.

Around three months ago, the ultra marathoner embarked on an inconceivable journey of pushing human endurance to the extreme. He undertook a mission to run 100 kilometres every day for 100 days within Mumbai, covering a total distance of 10,000 kilometres. Such an extraordinary feat has never been attempted before by any long distance runner anywhere in the world — which makes Samir the first to conceive and attempt this gruelling format in distance running. As of this week, he has successfully completed 80 days.

Moreover, he has been accomplishing this run without help from any support group, organisation, physiotherapist, masseur, dietitian, nutritionist or media coverage. The only support he has had until now is from his younger brother who cooks for him and some contributions from his well-wishers in the running community.

Interestingly for Samir, filmmakers Vikram and Vandana Bhatti, a brother-sister duo of Marathon Films, who happen to be running enthusiasts too, have begun a Facebook campaign called The Faith Runner (with the unique title coined by Vikram Bhatti). Here’s hoping that more and more people of the world come together to celebrate, salute and applaud this unsung athlete as he creates history.