Ladakh Marathon 2026: Nawang Tsering conquers 122 km in 12:12 to set new silk route ultra record

Ladakh’s own Nawang Tsering delivered a record-breaking performance at the 13th Ladakh Marathon on Friday, winning the 122 km Silk Route Ultra in 12:12:18, completing the gruelling course--which starts from Kyagar village in Nubra Valley at approximately 10,700 ft, climbs to 17,618 ft at Khardung La, before finishing in Leh--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 seasoned Ladakh Marathon runner Tenzin Dolma won the women’s race in 14:26:29.

A three-time Ladakh Full Marathon winner, Nawang has established himself as one of India’s leading high-altitude endurance runners and has increasingly made his mark on the international trail-running circuit. He competed at the CCC HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2025 and came into this year’s Silk Route Ultra with an established record in long-distance mountain racing. He was followed on the podium by third-placed Rigzin Gyurmeth in 12:51:21, while Tenzin was followed by Sufiya Sufi Runner in 17:42:08 and Aditi Chaudhary in 19:21:18 in the women’s race. Sufiya, a five-time Guinness World Record holder who has run from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, added another major endurance challenge to her record-setting career.

In the 72 km Khardung La Challenge, starting from the Khardung Village in the Nubra Valley, Jigmet Stobdan won the men’s race in a record-breaking 6:00:03, followed by Shabir Hussain in 6:26:24 and Singay Angchok in 6:34:12. Disket Dolma led the women’s field in 7:03:26, ahead of Jigmet Dolma in 8:33:16 and Neha Devi in 8:56:15.

Founder and Race Director of the Ladakh Marathon, Chewang Motup Goba , congratulated the winners and all those who completed the races, saying, “What these runners have done today is a great human feat. The distances are demanding, but at this altitude, the challenge goes well beyond the distance itself. I congratulate all the winners, but also every runner who stood on the start line and made it to the finish. Every finish is an achievement at these heights.”

Among the veteran runners, Pawan Dhaka won the men’s Silk Route Ultra in 16:10:17, with Maik Becker second in 18:15:37 and Shivanand Dangwal third in 18:30:22. Asha Singh was the sole winner in the women’s veteran category, completing the race in 21:15:45. In the veteran category of the Khardung La Challenge, Konrad Von Allmen took the men’s title in 7:44:09, followed by Rajinder Singh Bharaj in 10:19:45 and Shivendra Singh Bisht in 10:32:24. Pooja Varma won the women’s veteran race in 11:19:03, followed by Rita Satich Patkar in 12:26:58 and Richika Goyal in 12:41:52.

The 2026 Ladakh Marathon brought together more than 7,200 registered participants from 35 of India’s 36 states and Union Territories, over 28 countries and all six inhabited continents. Organised by Rimo Expeditions and the High Altitude Sports Foundation, Ladakh, the four-day event features six races, including the 122 km Silk Route Ultra and 72 km Khardung La Challenge. 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.

Ladakh Marathon Ultras - Full List of Winners

Silk Route Ultra

Open Male

1) Nawang Tsering; 12:12:18

2) Suraj Meena; 12:35:00

3) Rigzin Gyurmeth; 12:51:21

Open Female

1) Tenzing Dolma; 14:26:29

2) Sufiya Sufi Runner; 17:42:08

3) Aditi Chaudhary; 19:21:18

Veteran Male

1) Pawan Dhaka; 16:10:17

2) Maik Becker; 18:15:37

3) Shivanand Dangwal; 18:30:22