Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah flagged off the third edition of the Kashmir Marathon in Srinagar on Sunday. Over 1,221 local participants, 513 runners from other parts of the country and 73 foreign runners are taking part in the event. The marathon, which flagged off at Polo View here, is aimed at putting Kashmir on the international sports tourism calendar and showcasing peaceful Kashmir to intending tourists. The race has two major categories: the 42.195-kilometre-long full marathon, which started at 6.30 a.m. and the 21.0975 -km-long half marathon, which started at 7.45 a.m.Nasir Aslam Wani, advisor to chief minister Omar Abdullah, said that the number of participants in the marathon is higher than in previous editions, which indicates its growing popularity. “The government has provided more facilities this year to the runners. Organising these marathons will put Kashmir Marathon among the renowned marathons of the world,” Wani said.Director, Tourism Kashmir Syed Qamar Sajjad, Tourism Department, has become a member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and is working towards further strengthening the event’s international standing. “There is great scope for the development and growth of the marathon within the Union Territory, across the country and internationally,” he said.The marathon will conclude with a prize distribution ceremony, which will be presided over by the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha. The event has a total prize pool of over Rs 25 lakh for the local category, with prizes of up to Rs 4 lakh for full-marathon winners and Rs 2 lakh for half-marathon winners.This year, a prize has also been set aside for the local runners from Jammu and Kashmir as the government wants to promote long-distance running in the Union Territory. Abdullah, who participated in the first two editions of the event, is not running this year.Also Read:73 Foreign Runners, 12 Countries: Kashmir Marathon Set For Sunday; Region Aims To Boost Sports TourismJammu And Kashmir Govt Likely To Cancel Land Lease To EMAAR Group For Rs 125 Crore Project Three Years After Foundation Stone
