LG Saxena felicitates winners of Silk Route Ultra, Khardung La Challenge
LEH: Ladakh’s high-altitude endurance races drew 477 participants this year, with Nawang Tsering of the Ladakh Police winning the 122-km Silk Route Ultra and Jigmet Stobdan of the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre (LSRC) taking the top spot in the 72-km Khardung La Challenge.
Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena felicitated the winners of the two races in Leh on Friday, as part of the 13th Ladakh Marathon, which is being held from September 10 to 13.
Tsering completed the Silk Route Ultra in 12 hours, 12 minutes and 18 seconds to claim the ₹5 lakh first prize. Suraj Meena of Rajasthan finished second and received ₹3.5 lakh, while Rigzen Gyurmeth of 2 Ladakh Scouts was third with a prize of ₹2.25 lakh.
In the Khardung La Challenge, Stobdan won ₹2.75 lakh, followed by fellow LSRC runner Shabir Hussain, who received ₹2 lakh. Singay Angchok of 2 Ladakh Scouts finished third and won ₹1.75 lakh.
The 72-km race takes participants towards Khardung La, located at an altitude of 17,618 feet, while the longer Silk Route Ultra covers 122 km across Ladakh’s demanding high-altitude terrain.
The two ultra races form part of the 13th edition of the Ladakh Marathon, which has attracted 7,500 runners from 28 States and six Union Territories. International participation is also expected from all six inhabited continents, according to the UT Administration.
The event has also brought more than 3,000 family members to Leh. The administration said the marathon has generated more than 70,000 bed nights and contributed an estimated ₹40-47 crore directly to the grassroots economy this year.
Hotels, homestays, family-run guesthouses, taxi operators, restaurants, guides, artisans and small businesses have benefited from the increased visitor movement linked to the event, the administration said.
This year’s marathon carries a ₹1 crore prize pool, the highest prize commitment in its history.
Since its launch in 2012, the Ladakh Marathon has expanded into an international endurance event and is recognised as the world’s highest AIMS-certified marathon.
Saxena, while congratulating the runners, said the growing participation in the ultra races showed Ladakh’s potential for high-altitude sports and adventure tourism.
He also highlighted the need to balance tourism growth with environmental protection. The organisers have followed a zero-single-use-plastic policy and involved local schools and communities in environmental initiatives during this year’s event.
The Lieutenant Governor credited race officials, volunteers, local communities, medical teams, security personnel and government departments for conducting the races.
The marathon’s growing scale has also placed greater focus on its economic and environmental impact, with the administration pitching endurance sports as a means of creating local livelihoods while limiting pressure on Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem.
