Leh, Sep 12 (IANS) Five-time Guinness World Record Holder Sufiya Sufi and Ladakh local Tsewang Kundan emerged victorious in the Silk Route Ultra at the 12th edition of the Ladakh Marathon, a record-breaking year that features 6,600 participants across six races.

This edition drew runners from every Indian state and Union Territory for the first time in history, alongside athletes representing 30 countries, cementing the event’s status as one of the most significant running fixtures on the global running calendar.

Widely regarded as one of the toughest endurance races in the world, the Silk Route Ultra takes runners across a 122 km course that begins in the Nubra Valley, climbs over the formidable Khardung La Top at 17,618 ft, and concludes in the heart of the Leh Market.

76 runners took on the course this year, with Ladakh Scouts’ Tsewang Kundan claiming the men’s title in 13 hours 50 minutes and one second; the mountain infantry regiment excelled across the ultras, achieving several podium finishes, including both runner-up positions in the SRU.

Meanwhile, Sufiya Sufi clocked 19 hours 12 minutes and 36 seconds to win the women’s category, upgrading from her third-place finish the year before.

Earlier, at 3:00 am on September 12, the Khardung La Challenge, a 72 km Ultramarathon, flagged off from Khardung Village, featuring over 280 runners.

Shabir Hussain and perennial champion Namgyal Lhamo dominated their respective categories, with the former winning the men’s category in six hours, 58 minutes, and 40 seconds, while the latter claimed first in the women’s section in a little over eight-and-a-half hours.

The prize distribution ceremonies were held at Leh Market, where DGP Ladakh Police Dr. S.D. Singh Jamwal honoured the winners of the Silk Route Ultra, while Maj. General Parveen Chhabra, VSM, felicitated the champions of the Khardung La Challenge.

Speaking on the occasion, Chewang Motup Goba, founder, Rimo Expeditions, and Race Director of the Ladakh Marathon said, “First of all, a huge congratulations to the winners of this year’s Silk Route Ultra and Khardung La Challenge races. These two Ultramarathons test runners both mentally and physically in one of the world’s toughest terrains. To achieve what they have achieved shows incredible resilience, determination, and grit on their part. Over the years, the SRU and KC have grown in scale, with more than 350 individuals taking part this year. We would also like to highlight every single one of them who attempted these extraordinary challenges, and we hope to see them again next year.”

The veteran categories also delivered standout performances. In the Khardung La Challenge, Indore’s Vijay Kumar Singh (8:59:04) topped the men’s field, while Bengaluru’s Rita Satish Patkar (12:41:48) claimed victory in the women’s race. Over the demanding Silk Route Ultra, Uttarakhand’s Shivanand Dangwal (18:32:24) emerged as the winner in the veteran men’s category.

Born in response to the 2010 flash floods as a symbol of resilience, the Ladakh Marathon was officially established in 2012 to put Ladakh on the global running map. In just over a decade, it has developed from a local event into one of India’s largest and most unique races, attracting thousands of runners each year from across the country and around the world.

The 12th edition of the Marathon will continue with the 5 km Run for Fun on Saturday, September 13, before concluding with the 11.2 km Run, the Half Marathon, and the Full Marathon the following day.

–IANS

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