Ladakh organises 'world's highest frozen lake marathon' on Pangong Tso

Ladakh's Pangong Lake marathon, dubbed the "world's highest frozen lake marathon", took place on Tuesday, inviting the participation of about 120 runners from seven countries.

This year marked the second edition of the event, organised jointly by Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh with the support of the Administration Union Territory of Ladakh and the 14 Corps of the Indian Army.

The event was organised with the agenda to bring attention towards the melting Himalayan glaciers, which pose a massive threat to our environment. The run was titled as 'theastrun', suggesting that this might be the last run on the frozen lake, which faces a threat due to climate change.

Bid to promote sustainable winter tourism

According to the officials, the event was organised as part of the Centre's 'Vibrant Village Programme' and is aimed at promoting sustainable winter tourism in the border villages to accelerate the pace of development.

The Secretary of Sports, Ravinder Kumar, was the chief guest of the event.

The marathon was organised in two categories: 21 kilometres and 10 kilometres. It was held amid heavy snowfall with temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius, at an altitude of 14,273 feet.

Notably, the maiden marathon run conducted last year was recorded in the Guinness World Record as the world's highest frozen lake half marathon.

The locals also organised colourful cultural performances, and an exhibit of the region's speciality in cuisine, handloom and handicrafts was also displayed.