Carmel resident Mohan Ambaty has a clear goal in mind: compete in half marathons on every continent. With his latest race completed, he has hit his stride with three continents marked off the list.

In July, Ambaty took third place in the men’s category in the Australian Outback Half Marathon in Ayers Rock, Uluru, Australia, with a time of 1:59:30.

“I have been trying for Australia since 2020, but due to COVID it was canceled and only able to open in 2023,” Ambaty said. “The main reason to complete the tough races at the beginning of my quest, as years pass, based on age these races will become much tougher to finish.”

Ambaty previously completed half marathons at the Great Wall of China and Antarctica. He ran his very first half marathon in India during his university days.

Prep for the Australian event started in early 2023. His goal wasl to complete 12 miles by the second week of July with his pace in mind, and to run a couple half marathons in between.

“Eventually, I was able to reach my 12-mile goal but was not able to run any half marathons due to other commitments. Diet, sleep and focus/dedication are other factors I needed to prepare for this race. Family, friends and office colleagues’ encouragement was a plus,” Ambaty said, adding running the course was a challenge due to sand. “The scenery is all desert with Ayers Rock, at a distance, red sand roads with golden grass on two sides, and the appearance of a few camels on the way.”

As chief information officer for the Indiana Department of Health, finding time to practice can be difficult.

“The majority of my days go with a lot of meetings and sitting all the time. Hence, I thought of running one-half marathon in each continent per year as a motivation to keep up with my health and a chance to visit a continent, and a few major cities during the trips,” he said. “I usually practice three days a week. One month (from) the race, I do four to five days.”

The next race for Ambaty is in Africa.

“I haven’t decided which race to run, but it will be one of the races in Entabeni Safari Conservancy or the remote village of Kimanjo, Kenya,” he said.

When he completes his goal, he has another in mind.

“I am already on a different quest to complete half marathons in all 50 states along with completion of all half marathon continents by 2026,” Ambaty said. “If I can’t complete half-marathons in all 50 states by 2026, I will continue any pending half-marathons to complete.”