Hey, I am Sagar Chawla, and this is my story about visualization, manifestation coming true, and my half marathon.
It all started in January 2025, when I took part in a marathon and did my first 5 km. Perks of “new year, new me.” 😛
As they say, “what you seek is seeking you.” One of my resolutions for 2025 was to spend at least 25–30 minutes every day with myself at the end of the day, introspecting on everything that had happened. I started walking every day, and that’s how I got close with an old friend named Deep. Through him, I met amazing people like Gopesh, who were actively running and participating in marathons.
After completing my first 5 km, standing at the finish line, I felt happy and was going gaga about the run. But then I saw people in their mid-30s, 40s, 50s, even 60s, running 10 km, 21 km, and 42 km. Inside, I felt, “This is not it. I want to be one of them.” Riding that running high, I registered for the upcoming February marathon—and this time, for 10 km—under Deep’s influence.
I don’t know why, but I was skeptical till the last day. The night before, I texted Deep bhai: “Bhaiya, hon toh jayega na??” to which he replied, “Arey, bilkul aaram se hoga.”
We started the run and honestly—RUN BILKUL AARAM SE HO GAYA! He ran alongside me throughout, motivating me. At the finish line, I felt I had truly done something. While waiting for Gopesh, who was running 21 km, I saw so many people completing 21 km and 42 km. One couple in their mid-60s especially caught my eye; they completed 21 km with ease. That feeling was greater than my own 10 km run. I congratulated them, but for them it seemed like just another Sunday morning jog. Honestly, at that moment, I really wished to run 21 km and feel that high—but I knew it wasn’t my cup of tea.
Fast forward to 14 April:
Gopesh bhai shared registration details for the Hyderabad Marathon happening on 24 August.
I said I was in for 10 km. But Gopesh replied, “Hyderabad jaake sirf 10 km karega? Do at least 21 km.”
As much as I wanted to say yes, the inner me was scared. I asked Deep if he was up for it, and he said yes. So, we both registered for 21 km—my first ever HALF MARATHON!
May, June, July passed by in a blur—no practice, no training, caught up in work and festivals. Around 15 July, I got the news that Deep wouldn’t make it. For me, this felt close to 9/11. Now it was just Gopesh, Utsav, and me for the Hyderabad Marathon—both of them aiming for the full 42 km.
As August came, I wanted to do it, but I didn’t know how to practice properly. Anyway, I started doing 4–5 km on alternate days. The first week, I was gasping even 2 km into the run. Then Akshay joined me for practice since he was training for a trek. That gave me company. While everyone else was training extensively, all I managed was one long run on 15 August: 11 km on a flat road. No bridges, no elevation. A week before the race, during taper week, I found out Hyderabad was one of the toughest routes—with maximum bridges and elevation.
22 August, 2:01 am:
I did my visualization and wrote a note. That evening, we were leaving for Hyderabad.
23 August:
We reached Hyderabad, collected our BIBs, and went back to the hotel. As excited as I was, I was also shit-scared, because this time it was going to be me, alone, throughout the run. I had to be my own cheerleader. At the same time, my inner voice said: “Khatam karke toh aunga hi.”
24 August, 3:00 am:
Gopesh and Utsav’s start time was an hour earlier, so I left early with them to wait. God bless me for doing that, because during that wait I met people who helped me stay positive.
I met a 63-year-old uncle from Hyderabad (now living in the USA) who had completed 25 half marathons. He advised me to follow my own pace and enjoy the run, not compare myself with others. Then I met another gentleman in his 70s who was pacing the 3:00-hour group. His energy was inspiring.
At 5:35 am, the flag-off happened. After 600 meters, we were already on a bridge. Around 2 km in, a little girl with her dad crossed me. Curious, I asked about her—she was just 7 years old, doing her first half marathon! That gave me chills. Later, around 6 km, I saw a girl in a white crop top with “Birthday Girl” written in pink on her back. Soon, someone ran past, wished her happy birthday, and it reminded me of my own birthday run on 2 May when I’d done 8 km.
At 10 km, things got tough. My body started slowing down. Just then, I saw six women in their 40s, running joyfully. One of them, in a simple salwar kameez with no fancy gear, was smiling and full of energy. Seeing her, I thought: “If she can do it, why can’t I, in my 20s?”
By 16 km, my knees started paining and felt jammed. I tried keeping pace with a guy from Bangalore who was running the full marathon. He told me: “I’ll see you at the finish line.” Eventually, he went ahead. Slowly, I started losing it mentally. But every aid station was full of people cheering, with creative banners, as if they wanted us to win. My inner voice returned: “Aaya hoon toh khatam karke hi jaunga.”
I switched between brisk walking and running, crossing 18 km with both knees screaming. My longest muscle memory was just 11 km, so I knew this was bound to happen. To distract myself, I recalled my visualization note. Finally, I saw the board: 500 meters left. As much as I wanted to sprint, my knees wouldn’t allow it.
Then, an uncle in his 60s, with a group of seven, shouted: “Side please!” They passed, and I tried matching their pace for 150 meters. Soon, we entered Gachibowli Stadium. The finish line came into sight—cheering, clapping, “Let’s go! You got this!”
I crossed the line. A volunteer with a bright smile congratulated me and handed me the medal. Everything went silent. In that moment, I flashed back to standing at the finish line after my first 10 km, wishing to one day complete 21 km. And now, here I was.
That feeling—beyond words. I felt so proud of myself, because younger Sagar would never have even dreamed of doing something like this.
What I Learned:
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Small shifts, small moves, small progress lead to something big. If I hadn’t stuck to my New Year’s resolution, I wouldn’t be here.
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Just dream clearly about what you want—the universe will find its way back to you. That’s how I met Deep (just a walk buddy), who introduced me to Gopesh, who stayed throughout, and then Utsav, a powerhouse of fun and passion.
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As much as we take our bodies lightly, being active in any sport brings out your true potential. Our bodies are capable of more than we think.
The best part? After the event, we spent two days exploring Hyderabad. When I came home, I opened the note I had written during visualization. And guess what—reading every word felt like reliving the marathon. It all happened exactly the way I had visualized!