Srinagar’s first marathon.
The first international marathon in Srinagar had more than 1,700 runners from India and 12 other countries, such as Kenya and Denmark. Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Chief Minister (CM), Omar Abdullah, also participated in the half marathon.
The marathon had big cash prizes: ₹25 lakh for 1st place, ₹20 lakh for 2nd, and ₹18 lakh for 3rd for both men and women. The half marathon also had prizes from ₹3 lakh to ₹15 lakh.
Runners started early, running by the beautiful Dal Lake and passing pretty Mughal gardens before finishing at the Dargah Hazratbal shrine. After the race, Lieutenant-Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha gave out the prizes.
Sher Singh and Tamsi Singh won the men’s and women’s races.
Importance of this event.
The state’s CM said the marathon and the athletes helped show off J&K’s rich culture, beautiful crafts, and yummy food to the world.
LG Manoj Sinha said these events help bring peace to a region that has faced many problems. The government wants to hold more international events, including the G20 Summit and International Yoga Day, which can attract tourists and create jobs.
They hope to make J&K a peaceful and happy place.
