Explorer and endurance runner Ram Gopal Kothari has created a new milestone for Indian endurance sport by becoming the first Indian to complete the Volcano Marathon on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile. According to official results, Kothari finished the 42.195-kilometre race in 5 hours, 5 minutes and 8 seconds, placing seventh overall in a field where 21 runners registered for the full marathon and 20 started and completed.
The event was organised by Runbuk, an international organisation known for staging endurance marathons in remote locations, including the North Pole Marathon. With this finish, Kothari became the first Indian to complete both of Runbuk’s marquee races, adding to his earlier feat of becoming the first Indian to complete a full marathon at the Geographic North Pole in 2025.
Reaching Easter Island also marked a personal travel milestone for the Kolkata-based entrepreneur and explorer, who travelled nearly 24,000 kilometres from Kolkata via Mumbai, Istanbul and Santiago. The journey took him to his 80th country, another landmark in his ongoing pursuit of exploration.
Volcano Marathon: field size, finish time and the course challenge
The Volcano Marathon presented a very different test from the North Pole, with the course shifting dramatically in character as the kilometres passed. The opening 21 kilometres featured continuous rolling climbs and descents on paved roads, with freely roaming horses and cattle occasionally crossing the route. After the halfway point, the race turned into a trail marathon across rugged volcanic terrain, where several sections became steep and technical enough that even walking was difficult.
Around the 30-kilometre mark, runners climbed towards the Orongo Volcano Crater over a mix of paved and unfinished roads before ascending to nearly 600 metres above sea level. The technical nature of the route caught many participants off guard, with several runners slipping while wearing conventional road-running shoes. Another notable challenge was the absence of restroom facilities anywhere between the start and finish, adding an extra layer of difficulty to an already demanding course.
Despite the obstacles, Kothari completed the race without suffering a single muscle cramp or injury, crediting months of disciplined preparation. He said his training included multiple long-distance runs, daily strength training, elevation walking on a treadmill, and repeated ramp-running sessions inside Salt Lake Stadium to simulate continuous climbing and descending. He added that much of the preparation was done in Kolkata’s extreme summer heat and humidity, and that during one training session he suffered severe dizziness and remained bedridden for four days before resuming.
The marathon itself was held under mild weather conditions, with temperatures ranging from 17°C to 21°C. The skies were partly cloudy with moderate easterly winds and high humidity, but the constantly changing terrain made the effort physically exhausting.
Kothari also described the route as one of the most scenic marathon courses in the world, pointing to the Pacific Ocean backdrop, lush green landscapes, flower-filled valleys, rolling hills, volcanic stretches and the Moai statues that are synonymous with Rapa Nui.
In his comments after the race, Kothari said he was honoured to become the first Indian to complete the Volcano Marathon and framed the achievement as part of a wider personal journey. He also underlined the contrast between his two Runbuk finishes, noting that one marathon took him to the Geographic North Pole, while the other took him to one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands.
What’s next for Kothari after the Easter Island finish
Following the Volcano Marathon, Kothari is set to continue his South American travel plans with a trip to Peru, where he plans to visit Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain and the Sacred Valley. He also shared a message aimed at young Indians, urging them to “dream beyond” their circumstances and emphasising discipline, perseverance and the courage to aim high.
For Indian endurance sport, the significance of the Easter Island finish lies in the combination of a first-of-its-kind national milestone and the completion of two distinctive Runbuk events. With a seventh-place finish in 5:05:08 on a course defined by relentless elevation changes and technical volcanic trails, Kothari’s Rapa Nui run adds another notable chapter to his growing list of endurance achievements.
