Ep 104: Understanding Journey to the World Majors with Leading Sports Tour Operator Gauri Jayaram, Founder of Active Holiday Company

Run with Fitpage

19-01-2023 • 52 mins

Participating in an international running event is perhaps the best holiday a running enthusiast could imagine. For most Indian runners who travel to other countries to run in an event, it is an opportunity to renew their enthusiasm for running and does so in cultures that are new and refreshing in every sense.

In this episode of ‘Run with fitpage’ joining Vikas is Gauri Jayaram who is the founder and CEO of Active Holiday Company. As the name implies, Active Holiday blends your desire to run in some of the most celebrated running events in the world with a desire to have a vacation of a lifetime. In this episode, Vikas and Gauri dive into talking about the charm of running the world majors (there are six), and also the challenges of participating in these running events. Often the first step of participating in these events can be a challenge, especially with how difficult it can be to participate through the ballot, and Gauri shares how Active Holiday Company becomes instrumental in navigating this challenge as an official tour operator for such running events.

This conversation is likely to instill a seed in you to participate in running events outside India and give you solid answers to some of the questions that surround you in planning to run in world majors. Vikas and Gauri explore topics like:

  • Various ways in which International runners can participate in World Majors
  • Starting a world-major journey for runners
  • Profiling world majors for Indian runners
  • How official tour operators are positioned in helping you participate
  • Experience running some of the most celebrated marathon events
  • Perfect place to start your first International run
  • Some fun and insightful experiences Gauri has had over the years traveling with and for runners

There are only a few ways in which you can participate in world major marathons–commonly known as world majors. It can be done through the ballot, where you drop your name and leave the rest to faith. If you are an elite runner, you just need to enroll. If you wish your participation to help a cause, your charity can be your entry. The last is participating through an official tour operator who holds a certain number of tickets.

In this conversation, Gauri shares her story of how she started Active Holiday Company and how it became a tour operator. For runners, the camaraderie and lasting relationships that get built in traveling to other countries for races is something that goes beyond simply running a world major. Gauri has been a witness to many remarkable experiences and cultures runners often enjoy during their travels, and she gives voice to all of them in this episode.

About the host
Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram:
@vikas_singhh
LinkedIn:
Vikas Singh
Twitter:
@vikashsingh1010

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