SHNGIMALWLEIN, India, Sep 6 (IPS) – Kmoin Wahlang, a 76-year-old woman, starts her run every morning at 4am. Dressed in sweatpants, a jacket and running shoes, she sets out to explore the hilly terrain of the small village of Shngimawlein in the southwestern Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India.
Even before sunrise, despite the lingering darkness, Wahlang begins her run on the muddy ground of her village. As the early morning light casts a warm glow over the rolling green hills of the district, her pace exudes control and confidence, the result of years of dedication to running.
“I love running; it’s very liberating,” she tells IPS.
Walhang, who belongs to the indigenous Khasi tribe of the region, says: “I run every morning for two hours until 6am and do another two-hour session in the evening as part of my preparation for an upcoming running event in Australia.”
The septuagenarian, mother of 12, grandmother of 54 and great-grandmother of six, will represent India at the Pan Pacific Masters Games in November. This 10-day event in the Australian city of Gold Coast features competitions in more than 40 sports.
Competitors compete in their respective age groups without having to meet any qualifying standards or times. The Indian super grandma will participate in several long-distance running events including the 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters and 10 kilometers races. Kmoin Walhang is probably India’s oldest female long-distance runner.
Dreams bloom late
As a young girl, she played soccer as a goalkeeper. “Sports were something I always loved, but due to poor family circumstances and a lack of opportunities, I never had the chance to practice them at the right age,” she says. Walhang started running at the age of 70, an age when most people avoid extreme physical activity.
She married in 1968 at the age of 20 and put her family first, pushing her dream of becoming an athlete to the back burner.
“It was my fifth son, Trolin, who is also a marathon runner, who inspired me to start running,” says Walhang.
As she grew older, she began to suffer from stomach and respiratory problems. Through running and exercise, she cured her ailments.
“Running did for me what no doctor could do. It cured me,” Walhang reveals.
When she’s not running marathons, the septuagenarian cares for her paralyzed husband, who has been bedridden for the past few years after a stroke. She supports her family by farming, growing rice and seasonal vegetables on her small plots of land scattered across the hilly terrain near her home.
Walhang has competed in more than 40 marathons across the country, both at the state and national levels. However, when she first started running, people in her community laughed at her. “People in my village thought I was crazy to run at my age,” she says, laughing.
Habari Warjri, co-founder of Run Meghalaya, an organisation that promotes running among people from all walks of life and helps runners get sponsorship from the government and other parties, says, “We saw Walhang running when they organised the Mawkyrwat Ultra Marathon in her village of Shngimawlein from 2017 to 2019.”
Running without limits
Habari and her husband Gerald, both avid runners, have helped several long-distance runners from the district, who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, to participate in national marathons outside their state.
“Kong Kmoin was one such runner for whom we managed to secure government support, which enabled her to participate in several marathons across the country,” says Habari. In Khasi, “Kong” means sister and is used to address women.
“She was able to go to Australia because she was participating in the National Championships for Masters athletes in Hyderabad,” Habari adds.
Run Meghalaya helped Walhang to participate in the event in Hyderabad by sponsoring her with government support.
Mawkyrwat, situated in the South West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, is characterized by hilly terrain, steep slopes and deep valleys. It enjoys a cool, temperate climate with lush greenery.
Meghalaya, literally translated as “abode of clouds”, offers an ideal environment for long-distance runners due to its favourable temperatures, says Biningstar Lyngkhoi, the district-level athletics coach who has been training Walhang for the past three years. Despite its scenic beauty, the district is dependent on the state capital Shillong, which is 75 kilometres away, for essential training resources and facilities.
“I take Kong Kmoin to Shillong twice a week so that she can practice on the track,” informs Coach Lyngkhoi. The state sports department has sponsored Walhang’s tickets to and from Australia, he adds.
Lyngkhoi says Mawkyrwat, the town where the district headquarters is located, has a vibrant running culture and people enjoy running.
“There are almost 100 runners who compete professionally in regional and national marathons. About half of them are over 40, but Kong Kmoin is special,” he says. “At 76, she still has the ability to sustain physical exertion for long periods of time, which is crucial for a marathon runner. She also has the mental toughness to stay focused while running long distances.”
Lyngkhoi, who represented India as a marathon runner at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, believes Walhang’s journey as a marathon runner embodies the spirit of passion, inspiring not only her community in the southwestern Khasi Hills but also people across India and beyond. Despite the challenges of age and limited resources, she motivates athletes of all ages.
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