The third edition of the Kashmir Marathon is all set to be organized in the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, Srinagar, on October 25 while the arrangements are being finalized with over 1,700 athletes registering so far for the event.
Officials in the Tourism Department, Kashmir, told Rising Kashmir that the last extension has been made for the registrations for the event. They said that October 15 has been set as the last deadline for the registration as the people from across the country as well as some foreigners are still registering themselves for the event.
The officials said that over 1,700 athletes from across India and over 70 foreigners from 12 countries have so far registered themselves for the event. “The registration process continues as more and more people are presently registering. The athletes can register themselves till October 15,” they said.
Moreover, the Marathon will offer a top prize of Rs 25 lakh each to the men’s and women’s winners in the full marathon, with the Department of Tourism announcing a total prize pool of Rs 3.17 crore for the sporting event scheduled to be held in Srinagar on October 25.
The prize structure covers the full and half marathons, with separate awards for men and women across overall age-group and Jammu and Kashmir local categories. The full marathon carries a prize allocation of Rs 2.11 crore, while Rs 1.06 crore has been earmarked for the half marathon.
According to the announced structure, the overall winners in the full marathon will receive Rs 25 lakh each, while the second-place finishers will get Rs 20 lakh, third-place finishers Rs 18 lakh, fourth-place finishers Rs 15 lakh and fifth-place finishers Rs 12 lakh.
In the half marathon, the overall winners in both categories will receive Rs 15 lakh each. The second-place finishers will get Rs 12 lakh, third-place finishers Rs 9 lakh, fourth-place finishers Rs 6 lakh and fifth-place finishers Rs 3 lakh.
The age-group categories include runners aged 18-35, 36-50 and above 50 years. In the full marathon, winners in each age group will receive Rs 1 lakh, with Rs 75,000 for second place and Rs 50,000 for third place. The corresponding awards in the half marathon will be Rs 75,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000.
A separate category has been earmarked for Jammu and Kashmir residents to encourage local participation. In the full marathon, local-category winners will receive Rs 4 lakh each, while second and third place will carry prizes of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively. In the half marathon, the corresponding awards will be Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000.
The full marathon will cover approximately 42 kilometres, while the half marathon will span 21 kilometres. Both races are open to participants aged 18 years and above.
The registration fee for the full marathon has been fixed at Rs 2,200, while participants in the half marathon will pay Rs 1,800.
The marathon is recognised on the international calendar of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). A three-day marathon expo is also scheduled to be held from October 22 to 24 in Srinagar ahead of the race.
Pertinently on October 10, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg chaired a meeting to review the preparations for the 3rd Edition of the Kashmir Marathon, taking stock of the arrangements being made by the nodal Tourism Department and other stakeholder departments for the smooth and successful conduct of the event.
The Divisional Commissioner emphasised that close coordination among all stakeholder departments and timely completion of preparatory measures would be essential for the successful organisation of the 3rd Edition of the Kashmir Marathon.
