Ladakh Marathon 2026: Nikhil Singh, Stanzin Dolkar Take Marathon Honours; Tsetan Namgyal Wins Half Marathon

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 11.2K run, formed the centrepiece of the final day of the event, with a total prize pool of Rs 1 crore on offer across the competition.

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 across the wider field, with more than 7,800 runners registering for the 2026 Ladakh Marathon and above 7,200 qualifying after meeting the event's stringent participation requirements, designed with runner 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. 

Founder and Race Director Chewang Motup Goba said, "This has been a very special edition for the Ladakh Marathon. We have seen some exceptional performances, new records and a very strong response from runners across India and 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 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.

The marathon continues to place equal emphasis on the experience of the race and the responsibility of hosting it in Ladakh's fragile Trans-Himalayan environment. Single-use plastics have been prohibited at race venues since 2019, while the junior race programme encourages environmental awareness through schoolchildren collecting PET bottles as part of their participation.

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, Ladakh Police, Border Roads Organisation, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and Ladakh Tourism. The Indian Airforce provided hydration aid for the 5k Run for Fun, while several village councils and women groups provided support along the various races' routes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)

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