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Srinagar : For many, the 42 kilometres around Dal Lake were not just a marathon but a journey through beauty, resilience and belonging.
The second edition of the Kashmir Marathon, flagged off from Polo View here on Sunday, brought together runners from 11 countries and 27 states in a morning that felt like Kashmir running towards peace.
More than 1,500 athletes, amateurs and first-timers, filled Srinagar’s Boulevard Road with rhythm and colour as the sun rose behind the Zabarwan range, eyewitnesses told the news agency.
They said from locals waving flags to children handing out water bottles, every corner of the route carried the heartbeat of a Valley reclaiming its joy.
Tea stalls and Kashmiri samawars, were also set up along the shores of Dal Lake to refresh the athletes.
“This is not just a race, it’s emotion,” said an athelete from Germany, who has run in 18 countries. “You don’t often see people cheering from their rooftops at 7 a.m. The route here is like running through a postcard, lake, hills, silence and then applause,” he said.
An athlete from Bengaluru, running her first full marathon, said she came to Kashmir despite family worries. “When I started training, people asked, ‘Why Kashmir?’ Today I know why. It’s calm, it’s alive, it’s safe and it feels like running in heaven,” she smiled, as she spoke to KNO while running along the Dal Lake.
Abdul Rashid, a local participant from Srinagar, said the event gave Kashmiri youth a reason to dream big. “When we run with athletes from other countries, we feel part of the world again. It’s not just about sports it is about being seen,” he said.
Notably, the marathon was organised by the Department of Tourism, Kashmir, in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council, featuring 42 km (Full Marathon) and 21 km (Half Marathon) categories with a Rs 25 lakh prize pool.
Moreover, the Chief Minister flagged off the race along with senior officials and Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, who joined locals to cheer runners along the Dal Lake stretch.
It is worth mentioning that as the last runners crossed the finish line under the cold morning sun, the applause didn’t stop. The race concluded with cheers, music and echoes of celebration across the Boulevard—(KNO)
