SRINAGAR: The Kashmir International Marathon has recorded 2,136 registrations this year, including 73 foreign runners from 12 countries, as the Tourism Department seeks to strengthen the event’s national and international profile.
Director Tourism Kashmir Syed Qamar Sajjad said the department had planned to organise the marathon on a larger scale this year, with registrations surpassing those recorded in the previous two editions.
Speaking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Sajjad said the department had become a member of the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races (AIMS) and was working to further enhance the marathon’s international standing.
“There is great scope for the development and growth of the marathon within the Union Territory, across the country and internationally,” he said.
Sajjad said participation by runners from India and abroad could help promote Kashmir as a tourism destination, with participants sharing their experiences of the Valley beyond the region.
He also highlighted the marathon route, which offers views of Dal Lake, the Zabarwan Hills and Mughal gardens, describing the landscape as a distinctive feature of the event.
The Director Tourism said the department hoped to build on the growing interest in the marathon and expand its reach in the coming years. He described national and international participants as potential ambassadors for Kashmir tourism.
The event is part of the department’s efforts to use sporting activities to attract visitors and showcase the Valley’s natural landscape, he added.
