Elderly set example at Patnitop first high-altitude ultra marathon
Patnitop, June 1
In the first high altitude Ultra Marathon of Jammu province held in Patnitop, Nathatop,7,000ft msl and Sanasar on Sunday, it showed that if the young ones show grit and endurance, the oldies set an example of fitness and discipline for the youth.
In the 50 km 18-35 age category, Akshay Sharma stood first with 3:57:32hr timing; Sqn Leader Neha Devi was first among women who covered it in 4:23:58 hr. Sonaram Hasse and Pragati Garg covered 50Km in 3:57:28 hr and 5:16:33 hours in the 35-45 age category, respectively.
Balraj Kaushik and Anuradha did it in 5:16:33 hr & 7:02:21 hr in the 45-55 age category. Ajay Gandotra did it in 5:54:49 hr in the 55-65 age category. OP Sharma and Manmohan,69, did it in 6:15:51 hr & 6:41:30 hr for the 65-plus category, respectively.
In the same category, Shamala, 65, wife of Manmohan, was the only runner.
The event organised by an NGO, IKA Sports & Events, in collaboration with the Patnitop Development Authority(PDA), Department of Tourism and Patnitop Hoteliers Association, besides administrations of Udhampur and Ramban, was flagged off by the organiser and founder of IKA Sports & Events, Kapil Arora, at 4.30 am.
"I have come from Pathankot. I have got this award for finishing a 5km run in the marathon. I am 75 years old, and I started running just 5 years ago. I have run marathons at Chandigarh, Delhi, and Jabalpur as well," Kulwant Singh Bajwa told ANI.
After that, Chief Executive Officer, Patnitop Development Authority(PDA), Virender Manyal, flagged off 22Km,10 km, and 5 Km runs at 6 am,6.30 am and 6.40 am respectively in the presence of Deputy Director, Department of Tourism, Pankaj Sasan and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Chenani, Ranjit Singh.
According to Kapil Arora, more than 750 runners, including women and children from various parts of India and even from Japan and the UK, participated in the Marathon in 50Km,21Km,10 Km and 5 Km marathons.
For the 50 km Ultra Marathon, the runners, starting from the Youth Hostel, Patnitop, first went to Kud and from there went to Sanasar and returned to the starting point.
"We are organising different activities in every district and tehsil under the Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyan...we have been organising this marathon for the past 6 years in Udhampur...there were 4 categories this year - 50km, 21km, 10km, and 5km. People from all over India have come. The motive behind this event was to send the message to people to keep themselves physically fit and stay away from addiction. This event benefits tourism in Patnitop the most," CEO of Patnitop Development Authority, Virender Manyal said.
The participants were all praise for the scenic beauty and the pleasant weather most suitable for a Marathon and expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements by the organisers and concerning departments.
At last, the chief guest, Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Mohammed Alyas Khan, after welcoming the runners, gave away the prizes to the winners in the presence of other dignitaries.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Wow, this is amazing community spirit! So great to see an event dedicated to promoting fitness instead of the usual touristy stuff. The Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyan angle is smart too - physical activity as an antidote to addiction is something we need more of in India. And 750 runners from India, Japan, and the UK? That's impressive for a first-time high-altitude event. Giving big kudos to IKA Sports & Events and the Patnitop Development Authority for organizing this! 💪
Mad respect for Akshay Sharma and Sqn Leader Neha Devi who topped the 50km category! But my heart goes out to Shamala, 65, who ran in the same 65+ category as her husband Manmohan - and was the only woman runner. That takes some serious courage. The PDA CEO is right, this kind of event should happen more often in hill stations. Imagine the boost to local tourism and health awareness. Also glad to see proper arrangements were made - that's often the weak link in Indian marathon events.
Love to see this! High-altitude marathons are no joke - Patnitop at 7,000 feet demands serious endurance. The diversity of participants (from kids to 75-year-olds, from India to the UK) shows how fitness is truly universal. I hope this becomes an annual tradition and grows even bigger. Props to the organizers for making it happen in such a beautiful location.
This is wonderful but I hope next time they have better female participation in the older age categories. Only Shamala in the 65+ category? That's a bit disappointing. Also, the article doesn't mention if there were any timing chips or proper hydration stations on the route. For a first-time event these things matter. Still, great initiative and kudos to all the runners, especially the senior citizens who showed us what true grit looks like! 🙏