Pune-based Pritesh Angre recalls weighing 102 kg and mistaking an acidity-related chest pain for what was actually a heart attack he suffered in November 2016. After undergoing angioplasty and spending time in intensive care, Pritesh, then in his early 30s, would often find himself in tears at night, shaken by the shock of facing a serious heart condition at such a young age.He now wryly admits that during his time in Mumbai, he would casually consume four vada pavs in one go. Today, however, he firmly believes in healthy eating habits and at 41, his commitment to fitness has since reached extraordinary heights. What began as a modest 2-km jog on April 3, 2021, has turned into an unbroken streak of 1,826 days, covering 12,865 km—an average of 7 km every single day.“I completed five years on April 2 of running every single day without a break,” says Pritesh. An IT professional who grew up in Mumbai and now lives in Pune since 2022, he is also the grandson of Dattopant Angre, who portrayed Sai Baba in the yesteryear Marathi film Shirdi che Saibaba, a role remembered fondly by devotees and cinema lovers alike.For Pritesh, growing up in Mumbai had its own unique charm. Apart from a love for movies, theatre and roadside eateries, he was also inspired by his cousin’s achievements – especially completing the Comrades Marathon. “I had put on weight and thought it was acidity when I started getting heaviness in the chest. However, since I was just 31, I had never thought it could be a heart problem,” Pritesh adds. Angioplasty was performed, followed by successful stent placement in the affected artery and post recovery and doctor’s advice, he commenced walking.“Later, I started walking at a brisk pace,” Pritesh recalls. His day begins with work related calls at 6 am but he ensures he finds an hour or so during the day to continue this slow jog. So despite humid Mumbai summers, heavy monsoon downpours, dry Pune winters, domestic travels, family commitments, minor injuries including a fractured wrist and muscle pain, Pritesh never misses a day.He carries his running gear wherever life takes him. “I do not miss a chance to run,” Pritesh says. Whether it was holidaying in Mahabaleshwar or Ladakh, attending conferences at Mysuru or Nashik each city helped add new kilometres. This relentless consistency also earned him a place in the India Book of Records for the “Maximum Consecutive Days of Running by an Individual” where he completed 1515 consecutive days of running and covered 10,760 km in May 2025.With no professional coaching and balancing a full-time professional career with family responsibilities, Pritesh’s training involves “Intentional Failures.” “So on days when I target a 10-km run under 60 minutes, I deliberately finish in 62 or 63 minutes as the idea is simple: to train the mind to handle imperfection. By preparing mentally for days when hydration fails, sleep is inadequate, weather turns hostile, or cramps strike unexpectedly, the effort is to build psychological resilience,” he explains.Story continues below this ad“Waking up and choosing discipline over excuses. Your body is the greatest gift. Push it. Don’t wait. Don’t look for shortcuts. Until you try something beyond what you’ve been doing, you’ll never discover your true capacity. It’s always mind over body,” Pritesh says. And yes with annual check-up after the heart scare, doctors have also given him a clean chit to pursue running.Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:heart attackpune