Baramulla, June 28: Top runners from across the country were honoured with cash prizes on Sunday as the Zoon Run – Festival of Baramulla Marathon concluded in a festive atmosphere, with more than 800 participants competing in one of the Valley’s biggest road-running events outside Srinagar.
The marathon featured 5-km, 10-km and 21-km races for men and women across four age groups, with the top three finishers in every category receiving cash awards.
In the half marathon, Hansraj clinched the men’s title with a timing of 1:11:30, followed by Manoj Kumar Singh and Balvinder Singh. Sonya Mohan Pramanik won the women’s title in 1:45:00, ahead of Gurpreet Kaur and Kshirasagara Ramaasmita. In the age-group categories, Hansraj and Zanab Farheen Fayaz won the under-35 titles, Manoj Kumar Singh and Sonya Mohan Pramanik topped the 36-45 category, Joga Singh and Kshirasagara Ramaasmita emerged winners in the 46-55 section, while Krishan Kumar and Jyoti Prova Dutta Khanikar claimed honours in the 56-and-above category.
The 10-km overall titles went to Ajay Kumar in the men’s race and Shamshad Bano in the women’s category, while Barkat Ali and Harmehar Kaur emerged overall winners in the 5-km event. Winners in other age categories were also felicitated during the prize distribution ceremony.
The marathon transformed Baramulla into a celebration of fitness, sportsmanship and community participation. Around 350 runners, including over 120 women, took part in the 5-km race, making it the most popular event of the day. Nearly 40 children below the age of 10 also participated in a special run, drawing loud applause from spectators.
A two-day Bib Expo held ahead of the event enabled participants from different parts of the country to complete race formalities while exploring Baramulla’s culture and hospitality.
Organisers said the marathon aimed to promote healthy living, encourage sports tourism and establish Baramulla as a premier destination for annual road-running events.
