The first half marathon organised in the remote Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday saw participation by 260 enthusiasts. Baljinder Singh of Punjab won the men’s event with a time of 1 hour, 19 minutes and 26 seconds, while Reeta Kumari triumphed in the women’s category clocking 1 hour, 36 minutes and two seconds.
Lahaul and Spiti is situated at an altitude of 10,354 feet and conditions were tough for the participants but enthusiasts from the host state, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab besides the Indian Army participated making the 21-km a memorable meet.
The half marathon was part of the three-day tribal festival which began on Sunday and senior state officials have decided to make it an annual feature.