The Eleventh Kilometer launches October 20, 2026 — . RSVP for the Carmel Launch Party (Oct 17) →

Media & Publications

Features & Coverage

Stories about running with purpose, interfaith leadership, and community service — as covered by local and national media.

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You Are Current Philanthropy

Carmel Man to be Honored by AFP-IC

Covered in connection with his recognition for volunteer fundraising, underscoring his leadership in service and philanthropy.

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You Are Current Running & Service

Runs With a Purpose in London

Featured for combining endurance running with a larger mission of service and community support during the London Marathon.

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WISH-TV Running & Fundraising

Finding Faith, Running for Brightlane Learning

Video thumbnail: Finding Faith, Running for Brightlane Learning

Featured for connecting faith, running, and fundraising efforts in support of Brightlane Learning and the students it serves.

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You Are Current Running

Carmel Runner Completes Marathon Mission

Covered for completing a major marathon milestone, reinforcing a long-running commitment to discipline, perseverance, and purpose-driven running.

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You Are Current Spirituality

Spiritual Significance of the Solar Eclipse

An opinion column exploring the spiritual meaning of the total solar eclipse through a Hindu lens — on cosmic alignment, impermanence, and the call to seek inner illumination.

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American Kahani Culture & History

The Indian Roots of MLK's Nonviolence Movement

On MLK Day, a look at how Dr. King drew directly from Gandhi's philosophy of ahimsa — and why the Hindu roots of the American civil rights movement deserve to be remembered.

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American Kahani Interfaith

Hindu-Jewish Solidarity in the Face of Terror

A reflection on the shared wounds of two ancient civilizations — and the emerging alliance between Hindu and Jewish communities built on mutual respect in the wake of terror.

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American Kahani Culture

Stop the Westernization of Yoga

A critique of how yoga has been reduced to a fitness trend in the West — and a call to restore its authentic spiritual roots: ethical living, breath, meditation, and self-realization.

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American Kahani Wellness

Not a Retreat, But a Return: Rediscovering Classical Ayurveda

How classical Ayurveda offers modern Americans a holistic health system rooted in individuality and prevention — and reconnects Hindu Americans to their civilizational heritage.

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You Are Current Community Service

SewaDiwali Donates Nearly 10K Pounds of Food in Indiana

Coverage of SewaDiwali's landmark food drive, which collected and donated nearly 10,000 pounds of food across Indiana — connecting the spirit of Diwali with direct community service.

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American Kahani Interfaith & Service

SewaDiwali Brings Together Faith-Based Organizations to Combat Food Insecurity

How SewaDiwali united faith communities across the U.S. — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Sikh — in a coordinated effort to address food insecurity during the Diwali season.

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American Kahani Community Service

Hoosier Hearts in Action: SewaDiwali Spreads Light and Hope Across Indiana

A feature on how SewaDiwali brought together Hoosier volunteers and organizations to serve communities across Indiana — turning the festival of lights into a season of direct giving and hope.

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The Republican Art & Culture

Young Artists Make an Impression

A performing arts venue in Hendricks County hosted a "Common Threads" exhibit by young artists — creating a meaningful opportunity to introduce the concept of Raksha Sutra to a broader Central Indiana audience.

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Media enquiries welcome.

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For Journalists & Event Organizers

Press Kit

Everything you need to write about, interview, or host J. R. Sandadi.

Short Biography

J. R. Sandadi is an author, six-time World Marathon Major finisher, and nonprofit leader based in Carmel, Indiana. After twenty-two years in corporate America, he turned to writing, service, and interfaith leadership. His debut memoir, The Eleventh Kilometer, publishes October 20, 2026.

Long Biography

J. R. Sandadi is the author of The Eleventh Kilometer, a memoir of inheritance, endurance, and learning to stay, publishing October 20, 2026 through Charaiveti Press (US) and Garuda Prakashan (Bharat). Born in Telangana, India, JR spent twenty-two years in corporate America before stepping away to focus on writing, service, and community leadership.

A six-time World Marathon Major finisher (New York City, Chicago, Boston, London, Berlin, and Tokyo), JR has used long-distance running as both a spiritual practice and a fundraising platform — most recently raising $25,000 for Brightlane Learning, a nonprofit supporting students facing homelessness.

JR serves as Joint Executive Director (Great Lakes Region) of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, Indiana Chapter Advisor for Sewa International USA, and President of the Indiana Multifaith Network, and chairs the board of the Center for Interfaith Cooperation. He lives in Carmel, Indiana with his family.

One-Page Book Summary

The Eleventh Kilometer traces J. R. Sandadi's life from a middle son in Hyderabad to an immigrant engineer, grieving father, six-star marathoner, and community servant in Carmel, Indiana. Its organizing image is his father's daily walk of eleven kilometers to school in rural Telangana — movement not toward applause but toward whatever the next step required. The Sanskrit refrain Charaiveti, charaiveti (keep moving, keep moving) threads the book together, evolving from ambition into a discipline of presence: knowing when to move, and when to stay.

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Suggested Interview Topics

  • His father's daily eleven-kilometer walk to school, and what it taught him about inheritance and sacrifice
  • Running six World Marathon Majors as a spiritual practice, not just a physical one
  • Leaving a twenty-two-year corporate career to focus on service and writing
  • Interfaith leadership in Central Indiana and the Festival of Faiths
  • Turning marathon running into a fundraising platform for Brightlane Learning

Starting points — happy to go deeper on any of these, or explore other angles