Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], October 27 (ANI): Every November, thousands of runners take to the streets of Ahmedabad for the Adani Ahmedabad Marathon, many of them running for someone or something bigger than a finish time.
This year, a group of war-wounded veterans will be among them. On 29 November 2026, the War Wounded Foundation (WWF), which has stood beside disabled soldiers since 2002, will line up at the Ahmedabad Marathon for the first time. Four of its veterans share what the run means to them.
Nk. Ashok Kumar of 14 Mahar joined the Army on 30 April 1994 and gave it twenty years. On 11 October 2002, during Op Parakram at the Line of Control in the Batalik Sector of Jammu and Kashmir, enemy mortar fire struck both his legs and his left knee. He was classified a battle casualty, as per a press release.
Treatment at Delhi’s Research and Referral Hospital and the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune got him walking again. Recovery brought a second fight, because the weight he gained afterwards was a battle of its own. Ashok answered it with strict dieting and discipline until he had rebuilt his physique. Today he is a social worker and WWF volunteer, and a regular marathon runner as well.
“After the injury, I thought the hard part would be learning to walk again. It was actually what came after, the weight, the difficulties I faced mentally, and the biggest question being what to do with myself,” he said. “The Foundation gave me a direction. Hearing from other wounded soldiers who had been through the same thing, I understood that you can convert disability into ability. I want every member of the crowd to go home with one message, that a person should never lose hope. I am very proud to run at the Adani Ahmedabad Marathon for our soldiers," he added.
For Subedar Satbir Singh Chauhan, “Once a soldier, always a soldier” is a belief he has carried since 22 August 2005.
That day, while serving with 19 Rajput, Satbir was gravely injured, suffering fractures and nerve damage. He was classified a battle casualty with 100% disability for life. The body he had trusted for years was changed in an instant. However, his resolve had not changed. Today, Satbir chooses a life of motivation and adventure, and he also participates in marathons regularly.
“The injury changed my body in one day, but it did not change who I am,” he said. “After joining the WWF, I found people who understood me without having to explain anything. That is where I learned that a soldier does not stop being a soldier. After fifteen years with this brotherhood, standing on the start line at the prestigious Ahmedabad Marathon with all of them will be a very special moment for me. I want people to see that resilience has no limits.”
Ex Sepoy Rajesh Kumar enlisted in the 6 Rajput Regiment in May 1999. On 6 April 2001, during Op Rakshak in the Poonch area of Jammu and Kashmir, an accidental anti-personnel mine blast took one of his legs. He was classified a battle casualty. “Life changed in many ways,” he says, but it also brought encouragement he had not expected. He stayed in uniform for 26 years in all, retiring in May 2025.
The races came later. Together with fellow veterans, he covered four to five kilometres at community events and came back with medals that gave them courage. At home, his family and children cheered him on too.
“Those first medals meant more to me than people might imagine,” he said. “We were a group of veterans walking together, and every one of us came back feeling a little braver. My children cheer for me at home, and that is the best motivation I could ask for. For me, Ahmedabad Marathon’s ‘Run For Our Soldier’ initiative is the heartbeat of the race. I want the young and aspiring soldiers to see a man who lost a leg and is still ready to give everything for the nation.”
For Ex Cfn. Naresh Kumar, running has become an important part of staying active and keeping a positive outlook. In August 1999, he sustained serious blast injuries that affected his hearing. Adjusting to life as a battle casualty came with its own challenges, but Naresh kept finding ways to stay active and engaged.
Through regular counselling, healing support and conversations with other war-wounded soldiers, he found encouragement and community. Running became one of the ways he kept challenging himself, and he has taken part in several marathons. Apart from running, he regularly shares motivational messages and spends time with his family and his grandson, whom he describes as his best friend.
“An injury can change your circumstances, but it does not have to stop you from moving forward,” he said. “Running keeps me active and keeps my spirits up. I have done several marathons, and what I enjoy most is meeting other runners and sharing a bit of positivity along the way. When I am not running, I am usually with my grandson, who is my best friend. Running at the Adani Ahmedabad Marathon is another chance to do what I love, and I am looking forward to it.”
Their stories are part of why the Ahmedabad Marathon has become bigger than an annual sporting fixture for the city. The marathon’s #Run4OurSoldiers initiative, which channels a share of registration proceeds towards the welfare of India’s armed forces, remains central to the race, with over 3,000 defence personnel having taken part last year.
On November 29, 2026, four men who once served on the front line will be at the start of the Adani Ahmedabad Marathon, running for the soldiers who serve today. (ANI)
Wounded in service, but running for those who serve: Meet war veterans lining up at Ahmedabad Marathon
