Vikram Rai (born on December 21, 1979) of Darjeeling, West Bengal, is appreciated by the India Book of Records (IBR) for completing a full marathon wearing Vibrams, a brand of running slippers, in a foreign country. He finished the 2022 BMW Berlin Marathon in 4 hours, 17 minutes, and 41 seconds, as confirmed on October 10, 2022.
The Berlin Marathon is a marathon held annually on the streets of Berlin, Germany on the last weekend of September. The event includes multiple races over the marathon distance of 42 km including an elite level road running competition for men and women, a race for the public, an inline skating race, a wheelchair race, and a handcycle race.
Vikram Rai is one of the very few runners who runs in Vibrams. Vibrams is a minimalist running shoe with thin flexible soles that are countered around the shape of a human foot.
In a press release, Vikram Rai said, “I had never taken part in sports in school, and to get this recognition is like a dream. This is a dream come true, especially for someone who was called a slow Loris. This becomes more special finishing an international run with the Vibrams.”
Vikram Rai says, “In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come first, in the middle of the pack, or even last. You can always say, ‘I have finished and there is a lot of satisfaction in it.”
Vikram Rai is an assistant professor at St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling, and took up running in 2015 after developing severe symptoms of gout and high cholesterol. Rai is the founder and director of the Vik-Run foundation, which encourages and organises runs with an emphasis on helping runners from the hills to take part in national and international running events. Vik-Run Foundation organises runs with essential themes such as ‘Drug-Free Darjeeling’, ‘Go Green Darjeeling’ etc.
