About Ootyultra
OOTYULTRA is an Ultramarathon organized by KaysFIT Academy, founded by Kannan Sundararajan, a.k.a Coach Kay, also the Race Director.
OOTYULTRA is a tough ROAD running event, with steep up/down gradients, for the regular amateur runners to the serious ultramarathon lovers. With four distance categories, 90k, 60k, 30k & 15k, OOTYULTRA offers an opportunity for everyone to experience this beautiful ultramarathon.
The challenging OOTYULTRA route is designed to take you through the streets of Ooty town, key landmarks, green wooded forests, and innocent village roads. You will quickly escape into the mountains as you run, reach the second-highest peak in south India, and enjoy the breathtaking views.
How did it all start?
Coach Kay, the founder and Race Director of OOTYULTRA, is a back-to-back Comrades Marathon (in South Africa) finisher and used the present OOTYULTRA course as a training ground during his 2014 Comrades training.
After he became a full-time ultrarunning coach, he wanted to take his athletes, the ultramarathon runners who were training for the Comrades to Ooty and offer them the toughest running route that would mentally and physically prepare them for their Comrades Marathon.
Interestingly, a 60k long training planned in Ooty for the KaysFIT Academy Comrades runners, Balaji Thulasiraman, Ajay Verma & Satyashil Pradhan, who was training for the Comrades Marathon down run in 2018, had instantly evolved as the OOTYULTRA.
- 1st edition: 29-Apr-2018 with a few international runners and 278 runners across ten states in India.
- 2nd edition: 7-Apr-2019 with 717 runners.
- 3rd edition: The third edition was cancelled due to COVID-19
- 4th edition: The Spirit of #ultramalaivasi run conducted virtually between 1-4th April 2021
- 5th edition: 3-Apr-2022, with 500 runners. The 2022 edition also witnessed the first-ever 90k category officially conducted.
- 6th edition: 2-Apr-2022, Sunday (Scheduled) – Registration is Open
OOTYULTRA loves the Comrades Marathon
For the runners training for the Comrades Marathon (or similar road ultra races), OOTYULTRA acts as an excellent long training to boost the most-needed mental toughness and is timed to align with the mountain training needed in April. Some of the Comrades runners who ran OOTYULTRA are featured on the INSPIRATION page
Distance Categories
Introduced in 2020, the 90k is the most challenging race category with a 2642 m elevation gain & 2416 m drop with a 12 hr cut-off for the elite ultra runners offered only by invitation.
1947 m elevation gain & 1779 m drop, with a 10.30 hrs cut-off, this category is best suited for recreational and first-time ultrarunners and some serious ultrarunners who like this route’s challenge offer.
Also used as a training run for many other Indian/International ultramarathons. Sub 5:40 hr marathon finish, mandatory for qualification
For the regular half marathon runners planning to start ultramarathons, experience ultra-difficult terrain. Sub 3 hrs half marathon mandatory for qualification. Still, a challenging course with a 1053m elevation gain and an 889 m drop.
For 10k runners planning to understand what it is to run in an ultra-difficult terrain and enjoy the wholesome experience of being part of an ultramarathon. 488 m elevation gain and 317 m drop.
The perfect connection
OOTYULTRA is a perfect way to connect with the local tradition, history, natural beauty, culture, and the people of Ooty and the Blue Mountains. Running on such a beautiful mountain will also provide a unique opportunity for the runners to experience the gift of nature.
Every year, OOTYULTRA attracts many local runners and runners from across India/abroad, along with their family members, to the Nilgiris district.
Why should you run the OOTYULTRA?
OOTYULTRA provides an opportunity for runners across the world to come and experience many unique things, such as,
- Visit South India’s highest peak, Doddabetta, located 2637 m above mean sea level, all by running
- designed for experienced fast & professional athletes to run the 90k, serious & recreational ultramarathon runners to run the 60k, intermediate distance runners to run the 30k and beginners to run 15k.
- 90% route is non-repeating challenging terrains through blissful blue mountains
- Exciting pre-race day events
- Free souvenir T-Shirt & sponsor goodies
- First time in the history of marathon events – a 4-inch diameter, unique laser-cut custom medal with the runner’s name cut on it for all successful finishers within the cut-off (read the cut-off rules)
- timed to help you plan a perfect summer family vacation in OOTY
- become the #ULTRAmalaivasi (the Ultra Mountain dweller, Malaivasi – மலைவாசி in Tamil)
- supported by dedicated volunteers, a passionate organizing team & sponsoring partners to provide a “WOW” experience to runners
- focuses on the safety of the runners as a topmost priority.
- Only experienced runners can enter the 90k, 60k & 30k under strict qualification guidelines
- The event medical director directs the OOTYULTRA medical crew.
- HAM communication team & route marshals.
OOTYULTRA is for everyone
Behind the logo
We proudly share the OOTYULTRA logo, which signifies the local culture, flora & a few iconic places in Ooty.
