Omar Abdullah kicks off Kashmir Marathon, runs 21 km in 2 hours without training

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday flagged off the Kashmir Marathon, which saw participation from over 2,000 athletes representing 13 countries. This was the first international athletic event held in the valley.
The 54-year-old later participated in the marathon, completing a half-marathon (21 kilometres) within two hours. Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty also joined Abdullah at the flagging-off ceremony.
The Chief Minister Abdullah tweeted that he participated in the run without any proper training or plan and completed the half-marathon at an average pace of 5.54 minutes per kilometre.
“I’ve never run more than 13 KM in my life & that too only ever once. Today I just kept going, propelled by the enthusiasm of other amateur runners like myself. No proper training, no running plan, no nutrition. Picked up a banana & a couple of khajoor along the way. The best part was running past my home with family and others out to cheer me on,” Omar Abdullah tweeted.

Ahead of the marathon, Chief Minister Abdullah said the Kashmir Marathon would become one of the top athletic events in the world in the coming years. “I am thankful to the people of Srinagar for the way they came out to encourage the runners. I hope that the Kashmir Marathon becomes one of the top events in the world,” Abdullah said as quoted by news agency PTI.
The marathon saw participation from 35 local athletes and 59 international runners from 13 countries. They included top long-distance runners from India, Asian gold medallists and some of the best runners from Europe and Africa.
Organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, the event aimed to showcase Kashmir as a peaceful destination capable of hosting international events.
“The message of this marathon is that Kashmir is peaceful and open for global events,” said Raja Yaqoob, Director of Tourism. “These athletes will become our brand ambassadors, promoting our cuisine, Pashmina, and more,” he added.
Both Indian and international participants praised Kashmir’s hospitality. A Danish athlete, participating for the first time, expressed her admiration for the beauty of Srinagar and the warmth of the people.
Sunita, representing a group of 45 elite Indian athletes, highlighted the high prize money and the planned tour of Gulmarg as additional attractions of the event.