Srinagar, Oct 17: A total of 1,807 runners have registered for the third edition of the Kashmir Marathon, scheduled to be held on October 25, including 73 foreign participants, officials said.
According to registration data accessed Kashmir Convener 1,221 participants are from Kashmir and 513 are from other parts of the country. The event has attracted 1,614 male and 193 female runners.
Of the total registrants, 1,416 will participate in the 21-km half marathon, while 391 have signed up for the 42-km full marathon.
The marathon is being organised to promote Kashmir’s natural beauty and cultural heritage and position the Valley as a destination for sporting events. The routes are designed to offer participants views of landmarks such as Dal Lake, Chinar trees and Mughal gardens.
Speaking to Kashmir Convener Director Tourism Kashmir Syed Qamar Sajjad said the department intends to make the marathon an annual event and expand its international reach.
“The Kashmir Marathon will be a brand of the Tourism Department and a regular feature every year,” Sajjad said.
He said the marathon’s inclusion in the calendar of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) would help establish it as a regular event and strengthen Kashmir’s position on the international sporting map.
On the participation of foreign runners, Sajjad said travel advisories issued by some European countries and the United States, as well as the prevailing situation in the Middle East, had affected international participation.
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