Omar Abdullah Reviews Kashmir Marathon Preparations, Calls for Wider Global Participation
Srinagar, October 6: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday reviewed preparations for the third edition of the Kashmir Marathon and directed the concerned departments to strengthen national and international outreach to attract runners from across India and abroad.
Chairing a high-level meeting on arrangements for the October 25 event, the Chief Minister called for an extensive promotional campaign, including engagement with prominent running and fitness influencers, to enhance the marathon’s visibility and encourage wider participation.
Omar Abdullah also stressed the need to leverage the event’s substantial prize purse to attract competitive runners from outside Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmir Marathon 2026 carries a total prize purse of ₹3.17 crore, including ₹2.11 crore for the Full Marathon and ₹1.06 crore for the Half Marathon. A separate J&K Local Category, carrying an additional ₹25 lakh in prize money, has been introduced to encourage and recognise local talent.
To broaden participation beyond professional and competitive runners, the Chief Minister called for the introduction of an untimed 5-km Run-for-Fun segment for families, young people and amateur runners.
He also proposed enabling virtual participation in the next edition of the Kashmir Marathon, allowing runners from different parts of India and abroad to participate remotely and connect with the event.
Reviewing race-day arrangements, the Chief Minister directed the concerned agencies to ensure international-standard route management and clear distance markings along both the Full and Half Marathon courses. He called for kilometre-wise markers throughout the routes, along with 100-metre markers during the final kilometre, to facilitate runners and ensure a professionally managed race.
The third edition of the Kashmir Marathon, scheduled for October 25, has already received more than 1,400 registrations from Jammu and Kashmir, other parts of the country and international destinations. The event is recognised on the international calendar of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).
A three-day Marathon Expo will be held from October 22 to 24 at the Sports Council Ground, Polo View. Besides bib distribution and fitness-related activities, the expo will provide a platform to showcase Jammu and Kashmir’s handicrafts, handlooms, horticulture and cultural heritage.
The Chief Minister directed all departments and agencies involved in the event to maintain close coordination and ensure seamless arrangements for traffic management, route safety, medical assistance, public conveniences, power and water supply, as well as other logistical requirements.
The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary PDD Ashwini Kumar, ACS to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, ACS PWD Anil Kumar Singh, ACS Tourism Ashish Chandra Verma, administrative secretaries, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, IGP Kashmir, Director Information, Commissioner SMC, Managing Director and CEO J&K Bank, Director Tourism Kashmir and other senior officers.
Online registration for the Kashmir Marathon 2026 is currently open through the official marathon portal.
