Sikkim celebrates 50th year with high-altitude marathon

GANGTOK, : The Golden Jubilee High-Altitude International Marathon 2025 held in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Sikkim’s Statehood took place in Gangtok today. The event was organised by Sports and Youth Affairs department in coordination with the departments of Social Welfare and Commerce & Industries.

The 42-km marathon began at Tsomgo Lake, situated at an altitude of 3,753 metres, and concluded at Gangtok’s Ridge Park.

A total of 348 participants, 265menand 83women, took part in the marathon. Among them, 25 were international elite runners from Kenya, Ethiopia and Nepal.

Juligs M.Wahome from Kenya won the men’s event and took homeRs. 3.5 lakh prize money. Ganga Hang Subba from Sikkim secured second place and received Rs. 2 lakh, while third-placed Ethiopian runner FiromsaArarsa received Rs. 1 lakh.

Consolation prizes of Rs. 20,000 each wereawarded to Bikash Bhujel (Kalimpong), Prabal Chettri (Kalimpong), Suraj Thami (Darjeeling), John Erim Kelai (Kenya) and PraveshTamang (Darjeeling).

In the women’s event, Tamsie Singh (Uttar Pradesh), Chandrakala Sharma (Sikkim) and AberuGemechu(Ethiopia) finished first, second and third respectively. The women runners also received the same prize money as their male counterparts.

The consolation prizeswere presented toAnjuliSubba(Sikkim), SaraswatiRai (Kalimpong), Rozi (Delhi), Bandana Subba (Darjeeling) and ShrutiSubba (Darjeeling).

Medals, certificates and cash awards were distributed during a ceremony at Ridge Park, attended by Social Welfare minister SamdupLepcha as the chief guest and MLAs Delay NamgyalBarfungpa and TenzingNorbuLamtha as the guests of honour.

The ceremonial flag-off was carried out at Tsomgo Lake in the presence of Brigadier Amrit Sharma, local panchayat members and officials of Sports department.

“The Golden Jubilee High-Altitude International Marathon 2025 is now envisioned to become a flagship annual fixture in the State’s sports calendar, firmly anchoring Sikkim on the global marathon circuit while celebrating five decades of progress and pride,” states an IPR release.