Kieren Dsouza from Nagpur has made history by becoming the first Indian to complete the Greek Spartathlon, the annual 246 km ultra-marathon between Athens and Sparta.

Kieren D'Souza becomes the first ever #Indian to complete the world's longest race, #Spartathlon (246.6 km) in 33 hours & 3 minutes. Bravo! pic.twitter.com/O6WVNcehlh

— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) October 1, 2016

Often touted as the most dangerous race in the world, the Spartathlon has just a 50 % completion rate among its participants. But 23-year-old Dsouza, who hails from Nagpur, finished the race in 33 hours 2 minutes & 25 seconds, becoming the first Indian ever to do so. Among the 370 participants, he finished 86th. He also set another record by crossing 100 miles in 18 hours, 37 minutes, the fastest anyone has covered the distance. Dsouza, who is no stranger to such extreme events, previously completed the 222 km-long 'La Ultra', a marathon held in the mountainous regions of Ladakh. The athlete said that the support he got from the Indian embassy and his sponsors played a significant role in his performance. The Spartathlon has been held for 34 years now. No prizes except a medal and a wreath made of olive branches are presented to those who complete the race. Winners are also given a glass of water from the river Eurotas.