Udhampur, May 27: The fourth edition of Patnitop Marathon, held here on Sunday, saw an enthusiastic participation of 600 plus runners and fitness lovers from different parts of the country. Touted as India’s most beautiful hill race, Patnitop Marathon is an initiative of Iron Man Kapil Arora, an International Tri-Athlete, Ultramarathoner, Fit India ambassador and founder of K.A Sports and Events.
He is supported by the Patnitop Development Authority, Directorate of Tourism Jammu, District Administration Udhampur, and Skyview by Empyrean, Patnitop. The Half Marathon (21.1 kms) was flagged off at 6:00 AM by Saloni Rai, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, as the chief guest, and Brigadier Shantanu Kashyap – Sena Medal, a Kargil War veteran currently serving at the Northern Command, was the guest of honour, along with Joginder Singh Jasrotia, ADC Udhampur, Devender Singh Bhau, CEO PDA, Sunaina Mehta, Joint Director Tourism, Jammu.
Participants in the other categories, the 10 km and 5 km races, were flagged off at 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM respectively. The marathon en-route the stretching Skyview Terrace to Nathatop, offered participants winding trails, scenic views, and a cool morning breeze, making the experience special for runners aged 18 to 55+ years from 48 cities across 12 states. In the 21.
1 km category, the fastest male runners were Ritik Sharma (18-35 years), Vijay Sharma (35-45 years), Hemanshu Prakash (45+ years), and Ajay Gandotra (55+ years). The fastest female runners were.
