How Pooja Krishnamoorthy conquered the challenging Brazil 135 ultra marathon

Last month, Krishnamoorthy completed the Brazil 135 Ultramarathon, an elite race through the grueling Serra da Mantiqueira mountains, often cited as one of the toughest in the world. The 135 here stands for 135 miles or roughly 217 kilometers.

Krishnamoorthy completed the distance in 48 hours and 5 minutes and 26 seconds, well within the 60-hour cutoff. Despite the extreme fatigue associated with 200-plus kilometers of mountain running, she maintained a remarkably positive headspace.

"I didn’t feel like giving up even at one moment," said Krishnamoorthy in a conversation with The Bridge.

"There was never a feeling of giving up because I was enjoying the run so much and the route was beautiful, it was super scenic. I wanted it so bad that I don’t think it ever occurred to me that this is something I want to give up," she added.

The challenges were immense especially with constant elevation changes, but she fought through.

"The ascent and the descent were killing at some point. It was like straight up and straight down. It was really steep," she recalled.

Unlike standard marathons, the Brazil 135 is an invitation-only affair limited to roughly 100 runners globally. Krishnamoorthy’s road to Brazil began while assisting her coach at the Badwater Ultramarathon in California.

"Brazil is a sister race of Badwater. That’s where I first got to know about it," she said.

"My coach and I decided that at some point we will do this. I slowly became an ultra runner and when the time came, I applied and I got through."

Ultra-running is deceptively solitary. To navigate the steep Brazilian terrain, Pooja relied on a dedicated four-person crew. Her team included her Indian coach, Adil Mirza, alongside a local Brazilian driver, pacer, and translator provided by race organizers.

"You basically don’t run this race alone," she said. "You need a crew to come along with you who take care of your hydration and logistics.

“In general, these were their designations, but at the end of the day everyone was taking care of everything," she added.

Training and the Corporate Balance

Krishnamoorthy attributes her success to a rigorous training cycle that saw her running up to 140 kilometers per week, including specialized 12-to-14-hour night runs to build time-on-feet endurance.

Balancing this with her career as a production house owner required strict compartmentalization.

"Running starts my day. I think it’s a great way to start your day. I am my own boss, so no one questions me if I’m a little late to office," she said with a chuckle.

"When I was training for Brazil, for two months I only gave my time to Brazil training. That was my preference," she further explained.

From Mountains to Marathons

Krishnamoorthy’s endurance journey began long before she laced up running shoes. A certified mountaineer, she began exploring the Himalayas at age 11. When her career in Mumbai made 15-day mountain expeditions difficult, she found a new outlet in running.

"For me, mountains were the Himalayas. It was nothing else. It became very difficult for me to go there,” she said.

“In the meantime, I was introduced to running [in 2011]. My need to get out of the city kind of became intense, and this was my route to get out,” she added.