Defence forces shine at snow marathon in Himachal
The event witnessed performances from the defence forces with Naik Het Ram of the Dogra Scout Regiment (Indian Army) clinching victory in the 42km full marathon
The fourth edition of the world’s highest and Asia’s only Snow Marathon concluded successfully at Sissu, near the north portal of the Atal Tunnel, situated at an altitude of approximately 10,500 feet, in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
The event witnessed stellar performances from the defence forces with Naik Het Ram of the Dogra Scout Regiment (Indian Army) clinching victory in the 42 km full marathon. He clocked an impressive time of 4 hours and 15 minutes. Tamchor of Ladakh Scouts secured second place while OP Saran of the Indian Air Force finished third. In the women’s category, reigning champion Tenzin Dolma successfully defended her title by completing the race in 4 hours and 46 minutes.
The event was organised with the support of the district administration, Himachal tourism department, Bisleri, Tiger Balm, Campus Shoes, Bon, Fast & Up and Red Bull.
The 21 km half marathon saw Nangdan emerge victorious in the men’s category, followed by Namgyal in second and Ravikant in third. In the women’s division, Natasha Mehar claimed the top spot. The 10 km race was dominated by Stmazin with Rohit and Saurabh securing second and third place respectively. Nidhi Jha won in the women’s category. In the 5 km race, Vimal took first place while Priyanka secured the women’s title. 1km fun run was also organised to engage tourists, children and local participants.
Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Rahul Kumar felicitated the winners and participants. The marathon drew 247 runners, including personnel from the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and BRO alongside professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts from across the country. Notably, SSB’s DIG and international athlete Mukesh Kumar along with nine of his jawans also participated. A medical team from Fortis Hospital, Mohali, was on-site to ensure the safety of participants.
