India’s Gwite completes Paris-Brest-Paris, world’s oldest cycling event

It was in 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the world, that 46-year-old John Khammuanlal Gwite, who hails from conflict-ridden Manipur, began his journey in endurance cycling. And three years later, he has completed one of the most difficult races in the world.

The Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), which dates to 1891 and is regarded as the oldest cycling event in the world, is a gruelling 1,200-km race that takes participants from Paris to the Atlantic coast and back. The event is also referred to by many as the ‘Olympics of ultra-cycling’ and happens once every four years.

Gwite, who shifted to Delhi from Manipur about 20 years ago and works in a data firm, took part in PBP recently and completed the arduous race in 59 hours. He not only emerged as one of the top contenders from the 290 participants from India, but also secured an impressive global ranking of 248 out of the 8,900 riders who had converged from around the world.

What makes the Paris-Brest-Paris so challenging is that the riders will have to be self-sufficient throughout and finish the race within 90 hours. This means they must arrange for supplies themselves and will only have time to take a few short naps on the route. In ultra-distance cycling, the events are not split into stages and the clock ticks from start to finish.

To qualify for the PBP, one has to complete a series of randonneuring events first, which can range from 200 to 600 km.

“I was 43 years old when I started cycling seriously,” Gwite was quoted as saying by NDTV. “That is an age when people generally refrain from taking up any challenging physical pursuit. Although I used to workout regularly and also pursued martial arts, international cycling events demand commitment and patience and my age was not seen as too conducive for that. But in my mind I had only one thing – I wanted to show by example what discipline means to my children.”

Initially, Gwite began riding as a means to escape the confines of home during lockdown. He quickly realised that he had a strong passion for cycling and began participating in competitions. His first step on the international cycling stage came with the London-Edinburgh-London (LEL) event last year. It is a 1,500 km ultra-endurance ride between London and Edinburgh. This event marked his initiation into the world of long-distance cycling beyond Indian borders. This experience went a long way in preparing him mentally and physically for the Paris-Brest-Paris challenge.

Transitioning from international challenges to local circuits in India, Gwite’s performances continued to improve as he navigated the Devbhoomi 1000 BRM, the unpredictable weather of Kumaon's hills, and the relentless CKB 2022 Return, His efforts went on to earn him multiple Super Randonneur titles.