JK CM, Omar Abdullah flags off third Kashmir Marathon

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday flagged off the third edition of the Kashmir Marathon from Polo Ground in Srinagar, with over 2,000 runners from Jammu and Kashmir, other parts of the country and abroad participating in the event.

Featuring a total prize purse of ₹3.17 crore, the marathon offers ₹25 lakh to the winner in the open category, underscoring the event’s growing stature on the national and international sporting calendar.

The Full Marathon (42.195 km) was flagged off at 6:30 am, followed by the Half Marathon (21 km) at 7:45 am, as runners took to Srinagar’s roads amid the crisp autumn weather.

The route covered some of the city’s most prominent landmarks and scenic locations, including Lal Chowk, Polo View, Zero Bridge, Gupkar Road, Boulevard Road, the Jhelum riverfront, Dal Lake, the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Foreshore Road, the University of Kashmir and the Mughal Gardens.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdullah emphasised that the Kashmir Marathon was emerging as a flagship sporting event for Jammu and Kashmir, helping strengthen the region’s profile as a global destination for sports tourism while encouraging fitness and healthy living.

The marathon combines competitive long-distance running with Kashmir’s cultural heritage and natural landscape, taking participants through historic city streets, waterfront stretches and renowned gardens. The event is also aimed at showcasing Srinagar as a destination capable of hosting major sporting competitions.

According to the registration figures, the event received 1,807 online registrations, including 1,221 participants from Jammu and Kashmir, 513 from other states and 73 international runners representing 12 countries. With spot registrations, the total number of participants crossed 2,000.

In a move to promote local sporting talent, a separate prize category has been introduced for runners from Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative is intended to encourage greater participation by local athletes and provide them with opportunities to compete at a wider level.

Abdullah had earlier inaugurated a three-day Marathon Expo at Polo View on October 22 as part of the build-up to the event.