Ladakh Marathon 2026: Nikhil Singh, Stanzin Dolkar take marathon honours; Tsetan Namgyal wins half-marathon | Hindustan Times

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.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.Founder and Race Director Chewang Motup Goba said, “This has been a very special edition for the Ladakh Marathon. 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 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 race experience 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 by having schoolchildren collect 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, 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.Ladakh Marathon Ultras - Full List of WinnersSilk Route UltraOpen MaleNawang Tsering; 12:12:18Suraj Meena; 12:35:00Rigzin Gyurmeth; 12:51:21Open FemaleTenzing Dolma; 14:26:29Sufiya Sufi Runner; 17:42:08Aditi Chaudhary; 19:21:18Veteran MalePawan Dhaka; 16:10:17Maik Becker; 18:15:37Shivanand Dangwal; 18:30:22Veteran FemaleAsha Singh; 21:15:45Khardung La ChallengeOpen MaleJigmet Stobdan; 6:00:03Shabir Hussain; 6:26:24Singay Angchok; 6:34:12Open FemaleDisket Dolma; 7:03:26Jigmet Dolma; 8:33:16Neha Devi; 8:56:15Veteran MaleKonrad Von Allmen; 7:44:09Rajinder Singh Bharaj; 10:19:45Shivendra Singh Bisht; 10:32:24Veteran FemalePooja Varma; 11:19:03Rita Satich Patkar; 12:26:58Richika Goyal; 12:41:52Marathon - 42 KMOpen MaleNikhil Singh; 2:44:36Vipul Kumar; 2:50:37Hans Raj; 2:53:0318-35 MaleAnil Jindal; 3:03:06Vishal Kaushal; 3:05:14Anurag Konkar; 3:07:1336-51 MaleRohitashwa Kumar; 3:16:36Sandeep Kumar; 3:17:13Yogesh Sanap; 3:21:08Veteran MaleMahi Pal Singh; 3:51:59Ralf Kurt Schweiger; 3:58:09Shivanand Dangwal; 4:18:06Open FemaleStanzin Dolkar; 3:32:58Sarswati Rai; 3:33:41Disket Dolma; 3:37:5718-35 FemaleAnvita Verma; 4:05:34Neha Devi; 4:08:48Tanvi Lad; 4:16:1036-51 FemaleDeepika Prakash; 4:28:29Aishwarya Dubey; 4:42:29Jessica Paulraj; 5:06:55Veteran FemaleRita Satish Patkar; 4:49:39Kshirasagara Ramaasmita; 5:16:41Anjali Bhalinge; 5:18:32Half MarathonOpen MaleTsetan Namgyal; 1:14:13Dhola Ram; 1:20:32Sarfaraz Hussain; 1:23:2518-35 MaleRigzin Chosphil; 1:24:46Thinlay Gyaltsen; 1:25:28Skarma Sharaf Tharchen; 1:25:3036-51 MaleDorjay Gailson; 1:36:26Udham Singh; 1:44:55Jigmet Angchuk; 1:47:24Veteran MaleReji Kumar Aravindakshan; 1:51:45Chhimet Namgyal; 1:53:48Akira Nakada; 1:54:46Open FemaleGargi Sharma; 1:42:04Stanzin Yangdol; 1:52:57Simta Sharma; 1:54:5118-35 FemalePadma Chorol; 2:03:54Susmita Das; 2:07:53Alisha Kour; 2:09:0836-51 FemalePreeti Poniya; 2:10:44Pooja Drubra; 2:17:24Evita Taneja; 2:21:18Veteran FemaleSarbari Debnath; 2:44:00Rajalakshmy Mani; 2:53:06Nimisha Nadkarni; 2:53:0611.2K RunOpen MaleSonam Stanzin; 00:42:22Furboo Tundup; 00:43:04Mehboob Ali; 00:43:4618-35 MaleMohd Bakir; 00:44:29Kunzang Namgal; 00:44:44Punchok Tashi; 00:45:0736-51 MaleGopa Kumar G; 1:02:07Vikram Gaur; 1:02:34Thupstan Tsephel; 1:02:54Veteran MaleBhakta Raj Gurung; 00:53:50Bimal Thapa; 1:05:34Mohd Sadiq; 1:11:28Open FemaleStanzin Diskit; 00:58:22Tashi Dolkar; 1:01:57Devanshi Saxena; 1:03:0718-35 FemaleTsewang Lhadol; 1:05:05Sonam Chodon; 1:06:09Nima Dolma; 1:09:4136-51 FemalePhunstog Angmo; 1:14:42Suchitra C; 1:16:34Parwati Kanwar; 1:18:43Veteran FemaleKrishna Chauhan; 1:31:41Manju Kaur Khurana; 1:35:24Dr Rinchen Chosdol; 1:35:35