Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 9: The Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department, in collaboration with IKA Sports & Events and Patnitop Development Authority (PDA), organised the 5th edition of the Patnitop Marathon, drawing over 500 athletes from across the Union Territory and different parts of the country.
The marathon was flagged off early today from the main meadow, Patnitop by Aijaz Qaiser, Joint Director Tourism, Jammu, in the presence of Virender Manyal, Chief Executive Officer, Patnitop Development Authority; Sukhbir Singh, DySP SDPO Chenani; Pankaj Sasan, Deputy Director Tourism; Arif Lone, Assistant Director Tourism NHW; and Kapil Arora, Founder of IKA Sports & Events. The scenic flag-off ceremony witnessed enthusiastic participation from professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts, tourists and locals who gathered to celebrate the spirit of adventure amidst the breathtaking Himalayan backdrop.
The marathon featured multiple categories-Ultra Marathon (50 km), Half Marathon (21 km) 10 km Run and 5 km Run & Walkathon-each flagged off at intervals beginning at 6:30 am Later in the day, the award ceremony was graced by Alyas Khan, Deputy Commissioner Ramban, who served as the chief guest and presented prizes to the winners and runners-up. He appreciated the efforts of the Tourism Department and IKA Sports for promoting fitness, wellness, and eco-friendly adventure tourism in the Jammu region.
Aijaz Qaiser, Joint Director Tourism, said, “Patnitop has immense potential for adventure and leisure tourism. Events like this not only encourage a culture of fitness but also draw attention to the region’s natural beauty and tourism opportunities. He added that under the overall guidance of Ashish Chander Verma, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism Department and Vikas Gupta, Director Tourism, Jammu, the Directorate is committed to diversifying tourism activities and promoting sustainable adventure initiatives across the region.
Virender Manyal, CEO, PDA, expressed gratitude to the district administrations of Udhampur and Ramban for their cooperation in organizing the event. At the closing ceremony, Kapil Arora, Founder of IKA Sports & Events, highlighted that digital engagement for the event surpassed 1.1 million impressions across social media, websites, and email platforms.
In the 50 km Ultra Marathon (Men’s category), Maj. Sachin Singh Kunal clinched victory with an impressive time of 5:25:59, followed by Abhishake Gupta (5:43:31) and Makkhan Singh (5:58:02). In the Women’s division, Kirti cliamed the top spot with 6:43:43, followed by Divya Vasishta (6:58:00) and Shilpa Chaku Handoo (7:52:38).
The Half Marathon (21.1 km) witnessed spirited performances with Rakesh Kumar (1:30:30) securing first place among men, followed by Ajay Vikas (1:35:09) and Deepak Sharma (1:35:59). In the women’s category, Rimpi Devi (2:32:40) emerged victorious, while Avneet Kaur Soni (2:48:37) and Lata Alimchandani (2:52:40) finished second and third respectively.
In the 10K Challenge, Soutabh Sharma (39:30) took the men’s title, followed by Pankaj Sharma (40:08) and Imtiaz Ahmed (40:48). Among women, Anjali Rajpir (55:26) secured first position, followed by Sonali Sharma (1:18:40) and Ayushi Gupta (1:22:21).
The 5K Timed Run & Walkathon saw Aryan Sharma (20:39), Rahil Manhas (20:56) and Sunil Kumar (22:14) top the men’s chart, while in the women’s category, Shabnam Bano (32:24), Vidushi Mohan (33:53), and Babita Devi (36:17) emerged as the top finishers.
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