Kishori Kudecha: “Every race teaches me that age is…”: Meet 69-year-old Kishori Kudecha, who started running marathons at 60, found confidence and a whole new life
Kishori Kudecha did not grow up as an athlete, and she did not start running in her twenties or thirties either. At the age of 60, this homemaker, mother of two, and grandmother of three decided to take up running, a decision that has since turned into a full-blown second life built around fitness and endurance. Kishori is part of the WalkAbout athlete programme, a community-driven platform built for adults aged 55 and above that aims to change how ageing is perceived in urban India. She is, in fact, WalkAbout’s first sponsored athlete. In an Instagram video, she shared that her very first run was a 5 km race, and remarkably, she earned a podium finish in it too.
From a 2 km jog to 45 podium finishes
Since that first run, Kishori’s progress has been steady and, by most standards, extraordinary. She has gone on to complete 8 km, 10 km, 16 km, 21 km, and 35 km ultra marathon distances before finally completing her first full 42 km marathon at the Tata Mumbai Marathon in 2024. In December 2025, she pushed even further, completing a 50 km ultramarathon with Pinkathon Invincible Women. Along this journey, Kishori has secured more than 45 podium finishes, consistently placing among the top three runners in the 45 plus to 65 plus age categories. Her racing journey has taken her across several Indian cities, including Ahmedabad, Goa, Surat, Pune, Ratnagiri, Satara, Mount Abu, and Valsad. Her achievements have not gone unnoticed. She received the Best 1st Runner Up Award in the Super Veteran category from Mumbai Road Runners in 2025, followed by a 2nd Runner Up Award in March 2026. On March 8, 2026, she was also honoured with the Best Runner Award by Swami Vivekanand Youth.
In her own words
Kishori has spoken openly about what led her to running and what it has meant for her life since. Describing her starting point, she said she began running at 60 with the Sketchers group, largely as a way to stay fit and healthy and to prove that “age is just a number” and there is no barrier to chasing one’s dreams. What started as a 2 km run eventually grew into 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and ultimately 35 km and 50 km ultra runs. She has credited running with genuinely transforming her life, saying it has made her considerably more confident. Speaking about what keeps her going, she has also said in a separate interaction shared by WalkAbout that every race teaches her that age is just a number and that today she feels stronger, happier, and more energetic than ever before. Her hope, as she has put it, is simple: that her journey encourages others to start too, no matter their age.
Fitness as a way of life, not a phase
What makes Kishori’s story resonate is not just the number of medals or the distances covered, but the mindset behind it. For her, fitness is not a temporary goal or a passing phase; it is, in her own description, a way of life. At 69, she continues to train and compete alongside runners decades younger, steadily challenging the assumption that physical ambition has an age limit. Her story adds to a growing, quietly powerful conversation around active ageing in India, one that pushes back against the idea that a woman past 60 should slow down, step back, or stop setting new physical goals. Kishori’s own journey suggests otherwise, showing that with the right support and mindset, the most demanding chapters of a fitness journey can begin well after most people assume it is too late to start.
