Nikhil Singh and Stanzin Dolkar took the men’s and women’s open titles in the 42K Marathon at the 13th Ladakh Marathon on Sunday, while Tsetan Namgyal and Gargi Sharma won the men’s and women’s Half Marathon, respectively. Nikhil completed the 42 km race in 2:44:36, with Stanzin finishing in 3:32:58, while Tsetan clocked 1:14:13 and Gargi 1:42:04 in the 21 km race. The two races, along with an 11.2K run, formed the centrepiece of the final day of the event, with a total prize pool of ₹ 1 crore on offer across the competition.
We have seen exceptional performances, new records, and a very strong response from runners across India and around the world. But the success of the marathon is also about everyone who makes it happen, from our runners and volunteers to the local communities, partners and the many people who work behind the scenes. I am proud of what we have achieved together, and I congratulate every winner and every finisher of the 13th edition. The marathon continues to place equal emphasis on the race experience and the responsibility of hosting it in Ladakh’s fragile Trans-Himalayan environment. The 13th edition was supported by Bisleri as Hydration Partner, PUMA as Apparel Partner, Fast & UP as Energy Partner, Bajaj General Insurance as Insurance Partner, Renault as the Lead Vehicle Partner, Max Protein as Protein Partner, J&K Bank as Banking Partner, and The Grand Dragon as Hospitality Partner. The event was also supported by the UT Administration of Ladakh, the Indian Army, the Ladakh Police, the Border Roads Organisation, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and Ladakh Tourism. The Indian Air Force provided hydration aid for the 5k Run for Fun, while several village councils and women’s groups provided support along the various races’ routes.
Nikhil led a strong men’s field, finishing ahead of Vipul Kumar in 2:50:37 and Hans Raj in 2:53:03, while Stanzin Dolkar finished ahead of Sarswati Rai in 3:33:41 and Disket Dolma–who, days earlier, had claimed the Khardung La Challenge open females’ crown–in 3:37:57. In the Half Marathon, Dhola Ram was second in 1:20:32 and Sarfaraz Hussain third in 1:23:25, while Stanzin Yangdol and Simta Sharma completed the women’s podium behind Gargi in 1:52:57 and 1:54:51 respectively. Two days earlier, the ultra races had set the tone for a high-performing edition, with Ladakh’s Nawang Tsering winning the 122 km Silk Route Ultra in a new course record of 12:12:18, completing the race in just over 12 hours. Rajasthan’s Suraj Meena finished second in 12:35:00, breaking the record for the fastest non-Ladakhi runner, while Tenzing Dolma won the women’s race in 14:26:29. In the 72 km Khardung La Challenge, Jigmet Stobdan set another course record with his winning time of 6:00:03, while Disket took the women’s title in 7:03:26. That strength carried over to the wider field, with more than 7,800 runners registering for the 2026 Ladakh Marathon and more than 7,200 qualifying after meeting the event’s stringent participation requirements, designed with runners’ well-being in mind. Upwards of 5,300 runners finished within the stipulated cut-off times, including an unprecedented 291 finishers in the 72 km Khardung La Challenge and 82 in the 122 km Silk Route Ultra. The 11.2 km Run saw Sonam Stanzin win the open men’s category in 42:22, followed by Furboo Tundup and Mehboob Ali, while Stanzin Diskit won the women’s category in 58:22, ahead of Tashi Dolkar and Devanshi Saxena. Among the veteran runners, Mahi Pal Singh won the men’s Full Marathon in 3:51:59 and Rita Satish Patkar the women’s race in 4:49:39. Reji Kumar Aravindakshan won the men’s veteran Half Marathon in 1:51:45, while Sarbari Debnath took the women’s title in 2:44:00. In the ultras, Pawan Dhaka won the men’s veteran Silk Route Ultra in 16:10:17 and Asha Singh the women’s category in 21:15:45. Konrad Von Allmen won the men’s veteran Khardung La Challenge in 7:44:09, while Pooja Varma took the women’s title in 11:19:03. The 2026 Ladakh Marathon brought participants from 35 of India’s 36 states and Union Territories, over 28 countries and all six inhabited continents. Organised by the High Altitude Sports Foundation, Ladakh, with Rimo Expeditions providing logistical support, the four-day event featured six races: the 122 km Silk Route Ultra, 72 km Khardung La Challenge, Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 11.2 km Run and 5 km Run for Fun. The Ladakh Marathon is the world’s highest AIMS-certified marathon and an Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group Qualifier, and has grown since its founding in 2012 into one of India’s most distinctive international distance-running events. Single-use plastics have been prohibited at race venues since 2019, while the junior race programme encourages environmental awareness by having schoolchildren collect PET bottles as part of their participation. Nawang Tsering; 12:12:18 Suraj Meena; 12:35:00 Rigzin Gyurmeth; 12:51:21 Tenzing Dolma; 14:26:29 Sufiya Sufi Runner; 17:42:08 Aditi Chaudhary; 19:21:18 Pawan Dhaka; 16:10:17 Maik Becker; 18:15:37 Shivanand Dangwal; 18:30:22 Asha Singh; 21:15:45 Khardung La Challenge Jigmet Stobdan; 6:00:03 Shabir Hussain; 6:26:24 Singay Angchok; 6:34:12 Disket Dolma; 7:03:26 Jigmet Dolma; 8:33:16 Neha Devi; 8:56:15 Konrad Von Allmen; 7:44:09 Rajinder Singh Bharaj; 10:19:45 Shivendra Singh Bisht; 10:32:24 Pooja Varma; 11:19:03 Rita Satich Patkar; 12:26:58 Richika Goyal; 12:41:52 Marathon – 42 KM Nikhil Singh; 2:44:36 Vipul Kumar; 2:50:37 Hans Raj; 2:53:03 Anil Jindal; 3:03:06 Vishal Kaushal; 3:05:14 Anurag Konkar; 3:07:13 Rohitashwa Kumar; 3:16:36 Sandeep Kumar; 3:17:13 Yogesh Sanap; 3:21:08 Mahi Pal Singh; 3:51:59 Ralf Kurt Schweiger; 3:58:09 Shivanand Dangwal; 4:18:06 Stanzin Dolkar; 3:32:58 Sarswati Rai; 3:33:41 Disket Dolma; 3:37:57 Anvita Verma; 4:05:34 Neha Devi; 4:08:48 Tanvi Lad; 4:16:10 Deepika Prakash; 4:28:29 Aishwarya Dubey; 4:42:29 Jessica Paulraj; 5:06:55 Rita Satish Patkar; 4:49:39 Kshirasagara Ramaasmita; 5:16:41 Anjali Bhalinge; 5:18:32 Half Marathon Tsetan Namgyal; 1:14:13 Dhola Ram; 1:20:32 Sarfaraz Hussain; 1:23:25 Rigzin Chosphil; 1:24:46 Thinlay Gyaltsen; 1:25:28 Skarma Sharaf Tharchen; 1:25:30 Dorjay Gailson; 1:36:26 Udham Singh; 1:44:55 Jigmet Angchuk; 1:47:24 Reji Kumar Aravindakshan; 1:51:45 Chhimet Namgyal; 1:53:48 Akira Nakada; 1:54:46 Gargi Sharma; 1:42:04 Stanzin Yangdol; 1:52:57 Simta Sharma; 1:54:51 Padma Chorol; 2:03:54 Susmita Das; 2:07:53 Alisha Kour; 2:09:08 Preeti Poniya; 2:10:44 Pooja Drubra; 2:17:24 Evita Taneja; 2:21:18 Sarbari Debnath; 2:44:00 Rajalakshmy Mani; 2:53:06 Nimisha Nadkarni; 2:53:06 Sonam Stanzin; 00:42:22 Furboo Tundup; 00:43:04 Mehboob Ali; 00:43:46 Mohd Bakir; 00:44:29 Kunzang Namgal; 00:44:44 Punchok Tashi; 00:45:07 Gopa Kumar G; 1:02:07 Vikram Gaur; 1:02:34 Thupstan Tsephel; 1:02:54 Bhakta Raj Gurung; 00:53:50 Bimal Thapa; 1:05:34 Mohd Sadiq; 1:11:28 Stanzin Diskit; 00:58:22 Tashi Dolkar; 1:01:57 Devanshi Saxena; 1:03:07 Tsewang Lhadol; 1:05:05 Sonam Chodon; 1:06:09 Nima Dolma; 1:09:41 Phunstog Angmo; 1:14:42 Suchitra C; 1:16:34 Parwati Kanwar; 1:18:43 Krishna Chauhan; 1:31:41 Manju Kaur Khurana; 1:35:24 Dr Rinchen Chosdol; 1:35:35
Founder and Race Director Chewang Motup Goba said, “This has been a very special edition for the Ladakh Marathon.
