Amaravati, January 11, 2026: Pothumarthi Ramakrishna, a deputy mechanic at the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation's Auto Nagar depot in Vijayawada, has collected over 220 medals across long-distance races. These include events from 5 km to full marathons of 42.195 km.
The 59-year-old from rural Krishna district started running in 1988 without any coach, fancy gear, or special diet. He even completed a barefoot marathon in 3 hours and 28 minutes to claim first place at a state-level event in united Andhra Pradesh.
Ramakrishna joined APSRTC in 1991 under the sports quota. He balances demanding depot work with rigorous training and now offers free morning coaching at Siddhartha Engineering College ground in Kanuru. He supports trainees with shoes and travel to competitions. Many of his students have landed jobs in police and as physical education teachers.
