Shinde to flag off Shauryathon at Drass on July 5

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

NEW DELHI, June 28: The Sarhad International Shauryathon (Kargil International Marathon) will be held at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass on July 5 as part of the commemorative events marking Kargil Vijay Diwas. The event is being organised by Sarhad, Pune, in collaboration with the Indian Army.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will flag off the marathon at the Kargil War Memorial. Milind Kale, Vice President of the National Cooperative Bank Federation, senior Indian Army officers and other dignitaries will also attend the event.

Sharing details, Sanjay Nahar, Founder-President of Sarhad Pune, said the organisation has maintained close ties with the Kargil and Leh regions since before the 1999 Kargil War. With support from the Indian Army and the local administration, Sarhad has facilitated the education of more than 30 students from Kargil in Pune.

He said the marathon was launched in 2017 with the objective of promoting Kargil as not only a symbol of India's courage and sacrifice but also a major destination for adventure tourism and sports. Previous editions were flagged off by former Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre and former Army Chiefs General Manoj Naravane and General Manoj Pande.

Jointly organised by the Indian Army, local police, civil administration and Sarhad, the high-altitude marathon has grown into one of the country's unique sporting events. More than 3,000 runners from across the country have registered for this year's edition.

The event will feature 3 km, 5 km, 10 km and 21 km (Half Marathon) races, with total prize money of Rs 10 lakh. The Shauryathon is supported by Arham Foundation and Urja Bio System, Pune. The event details were shared by Anuj Nahar, Trustee of Sarhad Pune.