The second edition of Ladakh’s Pangong frozen lake marathon, known as “the world’s highest frozen lake marathon,” took place on February 20.
The event was organised by the Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh with the support of the Administration Union Territory of Ladakh and the 14 Corps of the Indian Army.
The run saw participation from 120 runners from seven different countries in two categories: 21 km and 10 km. Ravinder Kumar, Secretary of Sports, was the chief guest of the event, accompanied by Konchok Stanzin, Councillor of the Chushul Constituency.
The aim of this run was to spread awareness about the rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers, titled “theastrun,” implying that this could be the last run on the frozen Pangong lake due to the impact of global warming. At the same time, it aims to promote winter tourism in places like Changthang, as mentioned by the councillor of Chushul.
People from Pangong areas such as Maan, Merak, Spangmik, and Phobrang participated in the event and hosted the runners. They also performed various cultural performances on the occasion.
The run was conducted amid heavy snowfall at an altitude of 14,273 ft, with temperatures dropping to -15°C, officially making it one of the toughest marathons in the world.