Indian CEO runs his first full marathon in a Swedish mine

Few chief executive officers (CEOs) choose a mine over a city street for their first full marathon.

- T.Surendar

Fewer, in fact, have run more than a kilometre underground in a dimly lit zinc mine in Sweden, in humid conditions and visibility limited to a narrow tunnel of light. Yet that is where Hindustan Zinc’s CEO, Arun Misra, spent more than six hours in late October, running what the Guinness World Records confirms is the World’s Deepest Marathon.

Misra, 59 years old, was one of 55 participants from 18 countries. For him, the decision to run came after Hindustan Zinc became a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), a grouping of global mining companies committed to responsible practices. When ICMM decided to support the event, Misra felt it was important for his company to be present. “It would have meant very little for Hindustan Zinc to be there but not its CEO,” he said in an interview. “If I could complete 42 kilometres underground, it would show the world what modern mines are actually like.” Other CEOs in the race included honchos from Canadian Teck Resources and Boliden of Sweden, Misra said.

He had never run a full marathon before, though he had regularly run half-marathons with a best time of 2 hours, 30 minutes. Months earlier, he had been approached to consider an Ironman attempt. But the underground event arrived first. Between August and October, he trained as much as his schedule allowed — largely by running outdoors in Udaipur and Delhi, and occasionally simulating lowvisibility conditions.

The adjustment was less about claustrophobia and more about pacing. Misra is no stranger to underground mines; he began his career in 1990 in some of India’s more difficult coal mines in Dhanbad, including gassy deposits and low seams where workers crawled through four-metre spaces. “Working underground has never been a challenge for me. I can spend hours there without discomfort,” he said.