Running from Hebbal to Shantinagar before sunrise. Cycling from Shantinagar to Sarjapur for work. Repeating the entire loop in reverse by evening. Clocking 24 km of running every single day — just to prepare for a 100K race.

This is the life Manoj Bhat chose.

From cutting short his honeymoon and asking his wife to meet him at the finish line, to running 75 km with a congested chest — Manoj’s journey often looks like madness from the outside.

But beneath it lies a simple philosophy: Pick one thing. Hold on to it. Let everything else dance around it.

That philosophy began years ago in Boopasandra, Bengaluru — with long walks, quiet runs, and discipline built unknowingly. It carried him from local trails to ultra races, from 202 km in 24 hours to wearing the India jersey, and winning a team bronze at the Asian Championships.