Omar Abdullah flagged off and participated in a marathon

Over 2,000 participants from 13 different nations competed in the inaugural kashmir Marathon, which was inaugurated by kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>jammu and kashmir Chief minister omar abdullah on Sunday. This was the valley's first-ever international sporting event.

Later, the 54-year-old took part in the marathon and finished the half-marathon (21 kilometers) in two hours. Suniel Shetty, a bollywood star, accompanied Abdullah to the flag-raising event.

Chief minister Abdullah tweeted that he ran the half-marathon at an average pace of 5.54 minutes per kilometer despite having no prior training or preparation.

"I’ve never run more than 13 KM in my life & that too only ever once. Today I just kept going, propelled by the enthusiasm of other amateur runners like myself. No proper training, no running plan, no nutrition. Picked up a banana & a couple of khajoor along the way. The best part was running past my home with family and others out to cheer me on," Omar Abdullah tweeted.

Chief minister Abdullah predicted ahead of time that the kashmir Marathon would rise to prominence among the world's greatest sporting occasions in the years to come. "I appreciate how the people of Srinagar turned out to support the runners. As cited by the news agency PTI, Abdullah expressed his wish that the kashmir Marathon would rise to the status of one of the world's premier events.

35 local participants and 59 overseas runners from 13 different nations competed in the marathon. Among them were gold medallists from Asia, elite long-distance runners from India, and some of the top runners from europe and Africa.

The purpose of the event, which was organized by the kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>jammu and kashmir Tourism Department, was to present kashmir as a tranquil location fit for major international gatherings.

The director of Tourism, raja Yaqoob, stated, "The message of this marathon is that kashmir is peaceful and open for global events." "These athletes will become our brand ambassadors, promoting our cuisine, Pashmina, and more," he stated.