The fourth edition of the Lahaul Snow Marathon, regarded as the world’s highest marathon, commenced on Sunday in the Sissu Valley of Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district.
The event has drawn over 250 participants from across the country, including Army personnel, and features four race categories—42 km (full marathon), 21 km (half marathon), 10 km, and 5 km.
“This is the world's highest marathon, and we are organising its fourth edition today. This event will have four categories. First is 42 kilometres, half marathon is 21 kilometres, then 10 and 5 kilometres,” organiser Rajiv Kumar said.
The marathon has been designed not only to test endurance in extreme conditions but also to raise awareness of ecological damage in the fragile Lahaul and Spiti Valley.
Kumar emphasised the importance of environmental conservation, noting that the event brings much-needed attention to the region’s ecological concerns.
“The main reason for this marathon is to raise awareness of the ecological damage which is happening in Lahaul and Spiti Valley and to stop the damage. Then to generate employment and also to encourage tourism, we started this. Sissu Valley has greatly benefited from this. Tourists come here a lot, and all the coverage we get also helps,” he said.
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The international participation in the marathon, Kumar added, has played a key role in boosting global awareness of the valley’s ecological and tourism potential.
“We get international participants, so internationally, there is news about Lahaul Valley, that such a thing is being organised here, plus the snowfall they don’t expect, they can see in Lahaul Valley. Our one aim is to send a message of conserving ecology,” he said.
The organisers have also launched a plastic recycling initiative in collaboration with Bisleri to ensure that the event remains environmentally sustainable.
“We have started a plastic recycling campaign with Bisleri too, and it will go on for six months. In the future, we are planning to organise two other marathons here. All the other marathon events organised before have been zero waste; whatever plastic we generate, we collect it and recycle it,” Kumar said.
The annual snow marathon, open to men, women, and junior runners, is organised by mountain adventure sports experts.
Participants endure extreme weather conditions as they navigate the high-altitude terrain of the Lahaul region.
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