Snow marathon will be organised at Sissu in tribal district Lahaul and Spiti of Himachal around 10000 feet above sea level under the lap of Himalaya on March 10.
Shimla:
A snow marathon will be organised at Sissu in tribal district Lahaul and Spiti of Himachal Pradesh around 10000 feet above sea level under the lap of Himalaya on March 10. For this, the participants have started to gather at internationally famed tourist place Manali to take part in this marathon.
The event is supported by Fortis Hospital as Medical Partner, Polaroid as Eye Wear Partner, Campus Shoes as Running Partner, Fast & Up as Nutrition Partner, Bonn as Energy Partner, Youngear & Gokyo as Awards Partners.
Sudeep Rawat, a spokesperson of this event said that this event has the reputation of being the only snow marathon in Asia and highest in the world at around 10,000 feet above the sea level.
“Likewise, every year, this edition is being organised by Reach India in association with District Administration Lahaul and Spiti. Key sponsor Himachal Tourism is also aiming to bring the beauty of Lahaul on the world map by strengthening such events” he added.
“Organisers Rajeev Kumar and Gaurav Schimmer are confident that this time they will surpass last year’s figure of participants. So far, nearly 150 runners have registered themselves in four categories of full marathon (42 kilometers), half marathon (21 kilometers), ten kilometers and five kilometers. Ten marathoners are participating from overseas nations like the UK, USA, Australia, Nepal and Ethiopia. Sri Lankan runner Purna Rajarasam is already in town to feel the place” he remarked.
“Continuing the trend, as many as runners of the Indian Navy have reached Manali and are going through acclimatization from the last two days. These sailors hailed from as far as naval bases of Mumbai, Kochi, Goa and Visakhapatnam along with New Delhi. The team, led by Commander Dinesh Bali said sailors are well trained to overcome the different geographical conditions of the country apart. Apart from sea diving, they are sent to different expeditions and exercises. Apart from them, 15 jawans from the Indian Army are also participating in the marathon” said Rawat.
“These runners practiced extensively under the guidance of high altitude trainer Nakul Bhutta today in outskirts of Manali. After trekking nearly seven kilometers, the team did a snow walk of about two kilometers for the first time in this tour. During the training, emphasis was laid on nutrition, trekking gear, snow running and other aspects of the adventure” he asserted.
“This time, city dogs and their owners will run together in a unique race of its kind during this event. For this, Manali Strays, a voluntary organisation in Manali, has taken a unique initiative of its kind to further strengthen the sentimental bond between pets, especially dogs with their owners” he added.
Rawat said that “aligned with the same event, snow tails is also being organised wherein dogs and their owners are invited to the race. The organisers of the Snow Marathon have shown their generosity by organising this special dog race. This race will be conducted in one kilometer and two kilometer categories. The effort has been strengthened by the support of pet care brands associated with animal welfare namely Bark Out Loud, Bear Himalayan Chew Sticks and Raymond’s Bake Shop.”
“The previous editions of Snow Marathon had witnessed a good amount of participation from South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Due to the upcoming stretched weekend, runners from neighboring states won’t like to miss the opportunity of participating in this marathon. The enthusiasm of the youth from Himachal Pradesh with Delhi and Chandigarh has always been commendable” said Rawat.
