TuffWoman Title for the First Time at the 24-Hour Stadium Run on Feb 11

‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’ this oft-repeated adage reverberates best with the premier endurance sports company Tuffman which hosts running, cycling, and swimming events , and triathlon for sports enthusiasts across the country. As the Tuffman events kept churning out ‘Tuffman’ titles one after the other through the years, about 500 till now, some women ultra-runners expressed gender bias though wittingly on being recognised as ‘Tuffman’ and not ‘TuffWoman’.

Tuffwoman- Tuffman 24 Hour Stadium Run Chandigarh

Now, the ‘TuffWoman’ title will be announced for the first time at the first ultra-run of the year –- Tuffman 24 Hour Stadium Run Chandigarh being held at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sector 3, Panchkula, on February 11-12. This step is an appreciation of the toughness of women runners to egg them on to reach greater heights of graduating from half marathoners (21. 1 km) and full marathon runners (42.2 km) to ultra-runners (Above 43 km; 50 km in Tuffman ultra runs).

“Only 5 per cent women participate in our events, so it is a little difficult to provide logistics. Now we have come up with special merchandise with ‘TuffWoman’ logos to make them feel proud of their achievement,” says Sanjay Mangla, founder and owner, Tuffman.

“Not that women were not rewarded earlier if they accomplished the target, they were also given the title of Tuffman along with men. There is no relaxation in terms of timelines for finishing the marathons for women,” he is quick to add. They will also find a place in the Tuffman Wall of Fame on its website.

CityWoofer talked to owner and founder of Tuffman, Sanjay Mangla, in a free-wheeling conversation.

Did you have a strong background or interest in sports/ athletics which pushed you into the sports business?

I was always into sports, in school I played badminton; my children, my wife, we all are into one sport or the other, plus the coaches I work with — everybody around me created a support system which kept pushing me into taking bigger challenges.

How did your interest in endurance sports (running , swimming, cycling) start?

After marriage, I put on a lot of weight, so one day, I thought of going for a one-night walk in Delhi. Slowly, I increased the number of kilometers I walked, and gradually I started running. Then, I participated in the 24-hour run category in Delhi where I completed a distance of 100 km in 22 hours and stood third. That’s where the interest began. When I started participating in pan – India events, I found loopholes in their arrangement and management. I thought if I would have held this event, how would I have done it.

When did you first hold a marathon?

I am a great travel buff, so first I picked up all the places where I had already travelled to which included Shimla, Manali, Jaisalmer, Goa, Andaman . I held the first marathon at Mashobra in 2014 which was a trail run. At the first event, there were about 40 people who participated and now there are about 600 people who participate every year in the Shimla Ultra. Every year, we hold marathons in all these places.

How’s the participation of Tricity residents?

In Chandigarh, we hold half marathons hosting 3, 5, 10 and 21 km categories. In 2019, about 1800 people participated in the Tuffman Chandigarh Half Marathon and in 2022, the numbers rose to about 2800. So, the participation from the Tricity residents has always been overwhelming.

Tell us more about the Tuffman TRI 113 held in Chandigarh?

Tuffman stands for India, TRI means triathlon and 113 stands for 113 km which equals 70.3 miles which is the standard distance for any triathlon. The Tuffman Triathlon involves three sports: 1.9 km swimming, 90 km cycling and 21.1 km running, everything to be completed within 8:30 hours.

How do you select participants for the ultramarathon?

We go through their certificates of participation in earlier events to know their capabilities, and after that, we look out for any medical conditions that a participant may be facing.

What is the difference between Inspiring Tuffman and Tuffman title?

‘Inspiring Tuffman’ is for the smaller distances like half marathons and lesser distances while the Tuffman title is only for the ultra runners and triathlon winners.