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Exclusive | Ironman 2025: How Saiyami Kher Prepped For One of the Hardest Triathlons in the World
Saiyami Kher has become the first Indian actor to conquer Ironman 70.3 twice in less than a year. Here's how she did it.
When Saiyami Kher’s highly anticipated Hindi debut, Mirzya, released and tanked in 2016, she faced a professional setback — some films were shelved, and she was quietly replaced in others. But in that moment of heartbreak, Kher turned to her trusted lifeline: sports.
“To drown it out, I ran a marathon! The way I came out of that failure was sport, which has always been my backbone,” says Kher, who has since headlined several critically acclaimed titles, including Anurag Kashyap’s Choked (2020), Gulshan Devaiah-starrer 8 A.M. Metro (2023) and R Balki’s Ghoomer (2023), in which she played a paraplegic cricketer with remarkable depth.
The Hollywood Reporter India met Kher while she was in the middle of training for the 2025 Ironman 70.3 European Championship, which takes place in Sweden in July. Sipping on fresh lime water and enjoying a mushroom omelette, Kher radiated energy despite a punishing morning regimen of running and cycling, as she opened up about why she wants to push her limits for the demanding triathlon and how it has brought an unexpected calm in her life.
Edited excerpts from the conversation:
Could you please describe what happens in Ironman?
To put it simply, you wonder why people are doing this because it’s complete torture on the body! So, the full Ironman involves 3.8 kilometres of swimming, then cycling for 180 kilometres — like from Mumbai to Nashik — and then running 42 kilometres in Mumbai, which is from Bandra to NCPA [National Centre for Performing Arts] and back. That’s the full Ironman, which I aspire to do hopefully next year.
But this year I’m doing the half-Ironman, which is a 2-kilometre swim, followed by 90 kilometres of cycling and then 21 kilometres of running. To put it in local [Mumbai] terms, that’s the distance from Khar to NCPA, which took me just under eight hours, and it is absolutely gruelling.
What's the motivation to participate though?
You need to have a strong ‘why’ for participating in Ironman. I work in an industry that can get pretty demanding and tough. For me, it’s a way to deal with things that I find unfair. Whatever unhappiness I have towards things not working out in my profession is the reason why I do endurance sports. It keeps me sane. The race is actually just a celebration of what you have done for six months, the intense training which people don’t see, and everything you have overcome, which is so personal.”
Last year, you became the first Indian actress to complete Ironman in Berlin. Will Sweden be challenging?
Oh yes, it’s eight times tougher than the race I did last time because Berlin was completely flat. But this route is through the hills, so the elevation is eight times tougher which I’m not looking forward to (laughs). All three activities must be finished in eight and a half hours; otherwise you are disqualified. It’s non-stop.
How do you refuel during the race?
So, you can eat chocolates while you are cycling, but they must already be on your bike. I take 45 minutes to finish the 2-kilometre swimming stretch — which is slow for a triathlete — but because I’m a beginner, it works. The cut-off time for the swim is one hour and 10 minutes. Then you enter transition 1, where you change from your wetsuit and put on a helmet for cycling. Last time, I was taking it so easy that I had packed a croissant and a chocolate for the way because you do get super hungry. I took nine minutes for the transition, and that’s quite slow because you should do it in three-four minutes.
How do you train for something like this?
The training is quite intense for six months, [where you train] for six days a week. There are three sessions each of swimming, cycling, and running, and one for general training, which means ten sessions a week. Every month is broken down scientifically and if you’re consistent, anyone can do it. It is just about putting in effort every single day.
But what if the training clashes with your film shoot?
It gets difficult. I was shooting for a film last year, but because I grew up playing sports, discipline is not a problem for me. So, if my call time was 6.30 a.m., I’d wake up at 3.30 a.m., train till 6 a.m., shower and leave. Then, I’d shoot 12 hours from 7 a.m., crash by 8 p.m. and again wake up at 3.30 a.m.
There is also a lot of waiting around on a film set so I take my stationary bike in my vanity van where I train. Swimming becomes a challenge because of [limited access at] hotels, which is why my timing is slow, but it’s an excuse I should battle out. Running is the easiest. I just need a pair of shoes.
Do you run to your set?
I didn’t do it for the last film I was shooting, as I was not comfortable with the road. But during Mirzya in Ladakh, I used to run 3.5 kilometres from our tent to the set. That’s how I was able to do my marathon later. In Mumbai, I have cycled back home from Film City many times. And I have my pair of running shoes, so instead of getting stuck in traffic, I can put them on and run.
What does it feel like after finishing Ironman now?
I’ll go back to my first marathon that I did after Mirzya. There was too much emotional build-up and I was much younger as well. It was my first experience with the film world, so when I did that race, I felt proudest of myself. I remember it was a 38-kilometre run and just when I was nearing Marine Drive, I suddenly started crying. I was so overwhelmed, but my brain was also telling me that I shouldn’t because my breathing will go out of control (laughs). In Ironman, you can’t listen to music while you are doing the activities, so for eight hours, you’re stuck with your thoughts. I find it very meditative.