Srinagar, Oct 06 (KNO): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today reviewed the preparations for the third edition of the Kashmir Marathon and called for a stronger national and international outreach to attract runners from across India and abroad and establish the event as a major global sporting attraction.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review arrangements for the October 25 marathon, the Chief Minister directed the Tourism Department and other concerned agencies to intensify publicity for the event, including through leading running and fitness influencers.
He called for inviting prominent runners and fitness influencers to Kashmir ahead of the event to generate greater interest and build wider visibility around the marathon.
The Chief Minister 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 dedicated J&K Local Category, with an additional prize component of ₹25 lakh, has also been introduced to encourage and recognise local talent.
To expand participation beyond competitive runners, the Chief Minister called for introducing an untimed 5K Fun Run, providing an opportunity for families, young people and amateur runners to participate in the event.
He also proposed a virtual participation of runners in Kashmir Marathon’s next edition to enable runners from different parts of the country and the world to participate remotely and become part of the Kashmir Marathon experience.
Reviewing the race arrangements, Omar Abdullah directed the concerned agencies to ensure international-standard route management and clear distance marking along the Full and Half Marathon courses. He called for kilometre-wise markers throughout the routes and 100-metre markers during the final kilometre to assist runners and ensure a professionally managed race experience.
The third edition of the Kashmir Marathon, scheduled for October 25, has already attracted more than 1,400 registrations from Jammu and Kashmir, different 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 precede the race from October 22 to 24 at the Sports Council Ground, Poloview. 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 concerned departments and agencies to work in close coordination to ensure seamless arrangements for traffic management, route safety, medical support, public conveniences, power, water supply and 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 CM 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 open and the participants can register through the official marathon portal—(KNO)