SportsPosted at: Sep 17 2026 6:38PM


From hotel worker to Para Commando, Thorat completes IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

Bengaluru, Sept 17 (UNI) A former hotel worker from a farmer’s family in Maharashtra has gone from joining the Indian Army and completing the gruelling Para Commando training to finishing the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France, in just three years after taking up cycling.
Samadhan Babasaheb Thorat, from Sonke village in Pandharpur taluk of Solapur district, completed the global endurance event on September 13 in 6 hours, 2 minutes and 49 seconds, capping an extraordinary transition from a recreational cyclist to an international triathlete.
Thorat’s journey into endurance sport began only in 2023, when he took up cycling as a hobby. What started as a recreational pursuit soon expanded into ultra running, ultra cycling and triathlon.
By then, however, Thorat had already undergone some of the most demanding physical training in the Indian military.
He joined the Indian Army on May 4, 2018, and completed his Army training at the ASC Centre and College in Bengaluru. He subsequently volunteered for the challenging Para Commando training at 622 ASC Para, Agra, which he successfully completed in 2021.
For the past two years, Thorat has been posted at the ASC Centre and College in Bengaluru. It was there that his sporting journey took a decisive turn after he met Col Jangvir Lamba, an IRONMAN finisher.
Lamba introduced Thorat to the IRONMAN 70.3 format and encouraged him to test his endurance capabilities. He also believed Thorat had the potential to qualify for the world championship.
Taking up the challenge, Thorat began preparing for IRONMAN 70.3 Goa 2025. His performance there earned him qualification for the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice.
The transition from cycling for recreation to competing at a world championship required Thorat to train across three disciplines — swimming, cycling and running — while continuing his military career.
On September 13, he stood at the start line in Nice, facing the demanding championship course against an international field.
He completed the race in 6:02:49, bringing an extraordinary chapter of his journey to a finish — from a farmer’s household and hotel work in rural Maharashtra to military service, Para Commando training and the world stage of endurance sport.
For Thorat, the journey has been less about a sudden sporting breakthrough than a progression built on discipline acquired in the Army and the willingness to repeatedly test his physical limits.
UNI BDN
Tags: #From hotel worker to Para Commando# Thorat completes IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship
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