For years, Ultraman Australia existed in Jomy Jacob’s mind as something almost impossible — an event reserved for athletes with extraordinary physical and mental capacity. In 2019, while preparing for the Comrades Marathon in South Africa, the Indian Revenue Service officer first came across the race that pushes participants through three consecutive days of swimming, cycling, and running across extreme distances.
At that time, he viewed Ultraman as a distant goal. Seven years later, Jomy Jacob (2009 batch) has successfully completed Ultraman Australia 2026, becoming the first person from Kerala and only the second Indian Civil Service officer to achieve the feat.
Presently serving as Additional Commissioner in the GST & Customs Department under the Chief Commissioner’s Office, Trivandrum Zone, Jomy Jacob balanced one of the country’s most demanding administrative responsibilities alongside months of high-intensity endurance training to prepare for the event held at Noosa, Australia.
THE RACE THAT PUSHED HUMAN LIMITS
Ultraman Australia is regarded among the toughest ultra-endurance events in the world. Unlike standard marathon or triathlon events, participation is strictly selection-based. Athletes are shortlisted after scrutiny of their endurance credentials, race history, and overall preparedness.
Only 39 athletes from 10 countries were selected this year. Out of them, only 32 completed the race within the official cut-off time.
The challenge stretched across three days:
Day 1: 10-kilometre sea swim followed by 145 kilometres of cycling
Day 2: 275-kilometre cycling stage with major elevation gain
Day 3: 85-kilometre ultramarathon run
Each day carried a strict 12-hour cut-off, with a total race limit of 36 hours. Competing in the Elite category, Jomy Jacob completed the event in nearly 32 hours.
“The moment I first heard about Ultraman in 2019, it felt like something meant only for superhuman athletes,” IRS Officer Jomy Jacob shared in an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds.
“At that stage, I never imagined I would someday stand at the finish line of the event myself.”
A JOURNEY BUILT STEP BY STEP
Jomy Jacob’s path into endurance sports did not begin with triathlons. His early interests were rooted in mountaineering and Himalayan expeditions. Over time, those adventures gradually expanded into marathon running, ultra-marathons, long-distance cycling, and open-water swimming.
Eventually, that progression led him into the demanding world of Ironman triathlons.
After successfully completing IRONMAN Copenhagen in 2024 and IRONMAN Malaysia in 2025, the idea of attempting Ultraman Australia resurfaced with greater confidence.
“It was after completing the Ironman races that I seriously started believing Ultraman could become achievable,” he says.
“But I also understood that Ultraman preparation demands a completely different level of commitment.”
In November 2025, he formally applied for Ultraman Australia and was selected among the final group of athletes.
PREPARING FOR ULTRAMAN WHILE HANDLING ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES
Once selected, Jomy Jacob had around five-and-a-half months to prepare for the race. Unlike Ironman events, Ultraman preparation involves almost triple the physical stress spread across consecutive days, making recovery, consistency, and planning equally important.
To stay race-ready, he structured his entire calendar around endurance events and training blocks.
He participated in the Tour of Nilgiris cycling expedition in December, Tour of Thekkady in March, several long-distance cycling rides, the 10-kilometre Aluva Swimmathon in the Periyar River, and multiple marathon events during the preparation phase.
Swimming and cycling, which he initially considered weaker disciplines, became special focus areas in training.
“Every event I participated in during those months had a single purpose — preparing my body and mind for Ultraman Australia,” he explains.
What made the preparation particularly demanding was the challenge of balancing professional responsibilities with training.
As additional commissioner in the GST & Customs Department, Jomy Jacob oversees assignments connected with GST and customs administration across Kerala and Lakshadweep. Alongside official duties came family responsibilities, children’s studies, travel schedules, and daily commitments.
“Realistically, the only time I truly had for training was the early morning,” he says.
“Those two to two-and-a-half hours became extremely important, even though they often came at the cost of sleep and personal comfort.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK IN ULTRAMAN AUSTRALIA
Unlike most endurance races where athletes compete largely independently, Ultraman Australia follows a self-supported format. Every athlete must have a dedicated support crew handling logistics, hydration, nutrition, equipment, movement between aid stations, and race-day coordination.
For Jomy Jacob, the event became as much a team effort as an individual challenge.
“Ultraman is not just about the athlete. The efficiency and planning of the support crew can directly influence how successfully you manage the race.”
His core support team included his sister Juvi, brother-in-law Abey, and their children, who are settled in Brisbane. Their local support helped simplify logistics and coordination throughout the race week.
Another major contributor was Dr. Michelle Cranston from Noosa, whose assistance and coordination supported the team during the event.
According to Jomy Jacob, the successful finish would not have been possible without the collective efforts of the entire crew.
ENDURANCE SPORTS BEYOND COMPETITION
Beyond medals and finish lines, Jomy Jacob believes endurance sports fundamentally reshape discipline and mindset.
According to him, the repeated cycle of training, recovery, and consistency teaches athletes how to continue moving forward despite fatigue, pressure, and setbacks.
“Endurance sports teach you discipline and consistency more than anything else,” he says.
“You learn how to stay focused even when physical exhaustion and professional responsibilities exist together.”
His sporting journey extends well beyond triathlons. Alongside ultra-endurance racing, he is also deeply involved in mountaineering. He completed the basic mountaineering course from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and has participated in multiple Himalayan expeditions.
Over the years, he has steadily built a reputation within endurance sports circles for balancing public service with athletic pursuits.
A FINISH DEDICATED TO FAMILY
For Jomy Jacob, the Ultraman Australia finish line represented not just a personal sporting milestone but the result of months of collective sacrifice and support from family and friends.
“As much as this achievement belongs to me, it also belongs to the people who stood beside me throughout the journey,” he says.
He especially credits his wife, Dr. Anu Unni, and their children, Joan and Jordan, for supporting him through the demanding preparation period.
“They witnessed the physical exhaustion, the long training routines, the reduced sleep, and the sacrifices involved over several months,” he says.
“Their encouragement and understanding played a major role in helping me pursue this dream.”
With his successful finish at Ultraman Australia 2026, Jomy Jacob has added a significant chapter to India’s endurance sports landscape while showing how disciplined preparation, structured planning, and long-term commitment can turn even the most distant ambitions into reality.
