You did not start running only to finish a race!

Utkarsh Narang
Oct 14
2 min read

October 13, 2025

Welcome to another beautiful week. When an idea sparks that I think is worth sharing, it becomes this weekly newsletter. If something hits home, write back. I love conversations. This is Weekly Spark #22.

Yesterday, I completed the Melbourne Half Marathon in 2 hours and 13 minutes. It’s been 20 years since I ran my first one at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in 2005.

Twenty years. Two cities. Two very different versions of me.

But the feeling… the feeling is the same… it makes me feel alive.

How It All Started

I was 105 kilos back then. My uncle, visiting us from Canada, simply said, “Go take a few rounds of the field. As many as you can.”

So I did. I ran one. Then another. Then another. It was exhausting. But it felt good.

I wasn’t chasing fitness or medals. I was chasing my breath.

And somewhere between the pain and the persistence, I got addicted.

Not to running itself… But to what it gave me.

Presence. Discipline. Freedom. (Three of my top five values.)

Twenty Years Later

Life’s gotten busier. IgnitedNeurons, family, responsibilities - the usual chaos. But running still grounds me. It’s my moving meditation.

It reminds me that progress isn’t loud. It’s one quiet step at a time. It’s showing up when no one’s watching. It’s being in conversation with your own mind, breath after breath.

Five lessons that I was thinking through my 21 kilometres -

1. You can’t sprint through growth. The good stuff takes time. You build it mile by mile.

2. Rest is part of the race. There’s no shame in slowing down. Even elite runners take a breath. So should you.

3. Consistency beats intensity. Motivation fades. Habits don’t.

4. Comparison ruins the joy. Someone will always be faster. Someone will always have better shoes. But no one runs your race.

5. Gratitude is fuel. Every finish line feels sweeter when you remember how far you’ve come.

🧠 The Real Lesson

Running, like life, isn’t about the distance. It’s about direction.

You may not know what’s ahead, but if you keep showing up. Step by step, breath by breath.

Run your race. At your pace. For your reasons.

As I was limping down the stairs to catch home, the billboard by Nike said - you did not start running to finish the race. It reminded me of these stories, the moments and the choice to keep running.