Leh, September 23, 2026: Rajasthan’s Suraj Meena set a new benchmark among non-Ladakhi runners at the 13th Ladakh Marathon, finishing the gruelling 122-kilometre Silk Route Ultra in 12:35:00. He finished second behind Ladakh’s Nawang Tsering, who won the race in a new course-record time of 12:12:18. Tenzin Dolma claimed the women’s title in 14:26:29, adding another impressive performance to her endurance-racing career in one of India’s toughest ultra-marathons.
The Silk Route Ultra starts from Kyagar village in the Nubra Valley at an altitude of around 10,700 feet and climbs to 17,618 feet at Khardung La before finishing in Leh. Nawang led the highly competitive field with his record-breaking run, while Suraj finished close behind. Rigzin Gyurmeith completed the race in 12:51:21 to take third place.
A three-time winner of the Ladakh Full Marathon, Nawang has established himself as one of India’s leading high-altitude endurance runners and has also made a mark on the international trail-running circuit. He participated in the CCC HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2025 and entered this year’s Silk Route Ultra with an established record in long-distance mountain racing.
In the women’s Silk Route Ultra, Tenzin Dolma led the field in 14:26:29. Sufiya Sufi Runner finished second in 17:42:08, while Aditi Choudhary took third place in 19:21:18. Sufiya, who has five Guinness World Records to her name and has run from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, added another major endurance challenge to her accomplished career.
The 72-kilometre Khardung La Challenge also saw a new course record. Jigmet Stobdan won the men’s race in 6:00:03, followed by Shabbir Hussain in 6:26:24 and Singe Angchok in 6:34:12. In the women’s category, Disket Dolma finished first in 7:03:26, with Jigmet Dolma second in 8:33:16 and Neha Devi third in 8:56:15.
The enthusiasm extended across the wider field, with more than 7,800 runners registering for the 2026 Ladakh Marathon. More than 7,200 runners met the qualifying requirements designed to safeguard participants’ health and safety in the high-altitude environment. Over 5,300 runners completed their respective races within the prescribed cut-off times, including a record 291 finishers in the 72-kilometre Khardung La Challenge and 82 finishers in the 122-kilometre Silk Route Ultra.
