Arunachal: Tawang International Marathon to attract 4,500 global participants

The Tawang International Marathon - 'Queen of High-Altitude Runs' will witness the participation of 4500 participants from across the country and around the world, near the Indo China border on October 24.
 

The Tawang Marathon will be held at a height of 10,000 feet above sea level. 
 

The marathon is being jointly organised by the Indian Army and the Arunachal Pradesh government, showcasing the rock solid civil military bonhomie. The theme of the marathon is 'Peace & Unity'.
 

This is the second edition of Tawang Marathon, meanwhile, the day will also coincide with the United Nations Day - an annual commemorative day reflecting the official creation of United Nations on October 24, 1945.
 

On the other hand, the Army Colonel distributed jerseys and shared information regarding the International Marathon, at War Memorial.
 

Following the grand success of the inaugural edition in 2023, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on July 4, this year declared Tawang Marathon as an international calendar annual event to be organised jointly by Indian Army and the civil administration, on October 24 every year.
 

Arunachal Chief Minister Khandu - also the patron for the event - announced a grant-in-aid of Rs 2 crore to support the strength of more than 5,000 runners in the full and half marathon – 10-kilometre and five-kilometre runs.
 

The Tawang Marathon, held in the high altitudes of Arunachal Pradesh on October 24, carries a total prize money of more than Rs 60 lakh. The website for the Tawang Marathon, www.tawangmarathon, was launched on July 10 of this year, with over 4,500 runners already registered for this exciting event in the border town.
 

A four-month intensive media campaign, eight promotional runs, and two promotional stalls in major Indian cities and metros not only popularized the event but also significantly boosted mountain sports, adventure tourism, and the tourism sector as a whole.
 

The Tawang Stadium, the venue for the start and finish of the event, has been beautifully decorated. It will witness an assembly of over 5,000 runners and numerous spectators. The run will be flagged off at 5:30 am by CM Khandu, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Gajraj Corps Lt Gen Gambhir Singh, and other dignitaries.
 

Pro Defence Tezpur Athul Shreedharan coordinated with the 18 mediapersons from across the country to provide and disseminate informations regarding this international Tawang marathon.
 

Dr Rahul Sharma, the race director of the Tawang Marathon spoke exclusively to India Today NE and briefed about the event where 4500 participants registered and the winner of 60 km category will get 60 lakhs cash award following other prizes in other categories. 
 

A medical team has also been established by the Army to check the health of the runners and guide them accordingly.