Sikkim Mountaineering Association (SMA) is organizing a short distance run, Gangtok Road Runners, on October 7at Gangtok. It is a promotional event for the upcoming third edition of Kanchenjunga Marathon to be held from 31 October to 07 November in West Sikkim.
Kanchenjunga Marathon is the first high altitude marathon of Sikkim from the base camp of the third highest peak of the world, Mount Kanchenjunga.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Interestingly, the top three men and women in open category and the winner of veteran category of Gangtok Road Runners will get free entry in the upcoming Kanchenjunga Marathon.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, the Director of Kanchenjunga Marathon, Everester Kunzang Gyatso mentioned that aim of the event was to encourage people towards fitness and to live a healthy life. He informed that top three men and women in open category and the winner in veteran category of Gangtok Road Runners will be sponsored in Kanchenjunga Marathon by the organisers.
Gangtok Road Runners has two categories of 10 KMs and 3 KMs, which will be flagged off from Ridge Road and will cover the route on TNA Gate, Zero Point, Swastik and Bakthang Falls and then runners have to come back to the same route till Zero Point, Secretariate Road, Bhanu Path, Dukit Pan Dokan and end at the starting point.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
However, runners in 3 KMs have to cover the route of Ridge Road, TNA gate and then turn to Bhanu Path, Dukit Pan Dokan and end at the starting point. The organizers have fixed the registration fee at Rs 500 for runners in 10 KMs run and Rs 200 for students in 3 KMs run.
Gyatso informed that Kanchenjunga Marathon was started in 2015 with 20 runners from Sikkim and other parts of India and other countries. He informed that 20 runners have been confirmed so far for this year and it would likely go up by 60 by the end of the registration. The marathon carries the total prize money of Rs 6.35 lakhs.
“Kanchenjunga Marathon is an event to further promote Sikkim tourism and also provide employment to local youths. This event has also been successful in promoting talented runners from Sikkim and encouraging the people to live a healthy life,” he expressed.