Ladakh Marathon – 2024 Registration & 2023 Results
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Ladakh, India | TBD | Registration not yet open |
The Ladakh Marathon, an AIMS-certified race, is being held in Ladakh since 2012. Promoted & organized by Rimo Expeditions, it is one of the most reputed high-altitude marathons in the world and attracts the best runners to participate. Initiated to showcase that Ladakh was up and running after the devastating flash floods which ravaged the area in 2012, the Ladakh marathon aims to encourage youth to take up a healthy lifestyle.
Over the years, the event has grown from 1500 participants to over 6000+ runners. Organized in the month of September, it is one of the highest marathons in the world with races held from 3505mtrs to 5370 meters. The various races take place in and around Leh- the capital of Ladakh – and offer participants an opportunity to run with local Ladakhi runners through the most beautiful landscape offering stunning views of mountains, rivers, and valleys.
It offers the following races
- 5km Race: Shortest distance offered in the event. Most popular runs with the maximum number of participants including visiting tourists
- 11.2km Race: An out and back/looped run
- Half Marathon: An out and back/looped run
- Marathon: It is a tough race at a high altitude and is recommended only for those runners who are experienced and have put in dedicated training prior to the race. The course record for the marathon is held by Shabir Hussain with a time of 2:56:51 while JIgmet Dolma holds the women’s record with a time of 3:18:56
- The Khardungla Challenge: Considered one of the toughest ultramarathons with approximately 60 km (out of total 72kms) of the race at above 4000 m. Starting with only 11 runners in 2012, it has grown to 168 participants in 2019. Travel India called this event the “Mother of all Marathon races”.
- Silk Route Ultra (122 km): Designed for those runners who have been participating in the Khardung La Challenge for several years or those who regularly participate in ultra runs and Ironman competitions. The race covers parts of trials that were once part of “The Ancient Silk Route.
Out of six races of the event, Khardungla Challenge and Silk Route Ultra are the world’s highest and among the toughest ultra marathons.
Book Your Stay Near Race Starting Point
Ladakh Marathon
Race Categories, Dates, Registration, Eligibility & Fees
| Silk Route Ultra | Khardungla Challenge | Marathon | Half Marathon | 11.2km Run | Run Ladakh For Fun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | 122km | 72km | 42.2km | 21.1km | 11.2km | 5km |
| Race Date | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Start Time* | 7:00 pm | 3:00 am | 6:00 am | 6:30 am | 7:15 am | 7:30 am |
| Age Eligibility Criterion* | 24 years & above | 20 years & above | 18 years & above | 16 years & above | 14 years & above | 12 years & above |
| Other Eligibility Criterion* | Earlier participation Required. Check Details below @ | Earlier participation Required. Check Details below @ | Earlier participation Required. Check Details below @ | Earlier participation Required. Check Details below @ | Earlier participation Required. Check Details below @ | No other criterion |
| Fees* – Ladakh Residents/ Serving Defense personnel | INR 19000 | INR 11000 | INR 3200 | INR 2600 | INR 1900 | INR 1500 |
| Fees* – Indian Non Ladakh Residents | INR 28000 | INR 16000 | INR 4500 | INR 3600 | INR 2800 | INR 2200 |
| Fees* – Foreigners | USD 480 | USD 250 | USD 110 | USD 80 | USD 60 | USD 40 |
| Fees – Indian Veterans | INR 22000 | INR 13000 | INR 3800 | INR 2800 | INR 2200 | INR 1800 |
| Fees*- Foreign Veterans | USD 350 | USD 190 | USD 75 | USD 55 | USD 40 | USD 30 |
| Registration | Registration not yet open | Registration not yet open | Registration not yet open | Registration not yet open | Registration not yet open | Registration not yet open |
| Expo Details* | For 2023 event, the expo / bill collection venue was at NDS Memorial Stadium grounds in Leh | |||||
*Details of Eligibility, Registration fees, Race Start time, Expo details, etc. for the Ladakh Marathon 2024 has not yet been released. Above are details from the 2023 race event for reference
@ Below Participation Eligibility criterion is applicable for Ladakh Marathon 2023 for various races:
- Silk Route: Must fulfill one of following conditions (1) Participant of 2022 Silk Route Ultra (2) Finisher of Khardung La Challenge 2022 (3) Finisher of Khardungla Challenge of previous years but having either an ultra marathon (over 100 km in under 17hrs) or marathon (under 5 hrs) between 10th Sep ’22 and 4th Jun ‘23 (4) Finisher of one ultra marathon (over 100 km in under 17hrs) AND one marathon (under 5 hrs) both between 10th Sep ‘22 and 4th Jun ’23
- Khardungla Challenge : Must fulfill one of following conditions (1) Two full marathon under 5 hrs in past 2 years (at least one between 10th Sep ’22 and 4th Jun ’23) (2) Finisher of previous years Ladakh Marathon (42km) AND one full marathon under 5hr between 10th Sep’22 and 4th Jun’23 (3) Finisher of EITHER two 70km ultra marathons under 11hr in past two years (atleast one between 10th Sep’22 & 4th Jun’23) OR two ultra marathons over 70km with a pace of 6km/hr in past two years (atleast one between 10th Sep’22 & 4th Jun’23) (4) Finisher of a full marathon under 5hr AND a 50km ultra under 6hr in past two years (atleast one between 10th Sep’22 & 4th Jun’23) (5) Finisher of 2022 Ladakh Marathon –42.2 Km
- Marathon: Must fulfill one of following conditions (1) Must have completed EITHER one full marathon under 6 hrs between 10th Sep’22 & 4th Jun’23 OR two half marathons under 3 hrs in the past 2 years (at least one between between 10th Sep’22 & 4th Jun’23). (2) Finisher of 2022 Ladakh Marathon –21.1 Km
- Half Marathon: Must fulfill one of following conditions (1) Must have completed EITHER one half marathon under 3hrs between 10th Sep’22 & 4th Jun’23 OR two 10 km runs under 1hr 30min in past two years (atleast one between 10th Sep’22 & 4th Jun’23) (2) Finisher of 2022 Ladakh Marathon – 10.5 Km
- 11.2km Run: Must fulfill one of following conditions(1) Two 10 km run under 1hr 30min in past two years (atleast one between 10th Sep’22 and 4th June’23) (2) One Half Marathon under 3hr between 10th Sep’22 and 4th Jun’23
Important Points Regarding Registration in 2023
1. Please note that all prices are inclusive of 18% GST.
2. Before proceeding to register, runners are requested to read the revised Eligibility Criteria, Terms and Conditions, and Acknowledgement of Risks and Indemnity available on the marathon’s official website.
3. You can participate as a veteran if you are above 50 years (applicable across all races).
4. Applications for Kardung La Challenge and Silk Route Ultra will be confirmed once documents submitted towards eligibility criteria have been verified within within 10 working days, after which the payment link will be shared. The organizer reserves the right to disallow/disqualify any participant who is suspected to be physically unfit to participate in these races.
5. Besides the above, the following nationalities cannot participate in the Silk Route Ultra and the Khardung La Challenge as they are excluded from the restricted area permit which is required for the Khardung La pass
a) Citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, and foreign nationals having their origin in these countries
b) Diplomatic passport holders
Route/Course Map
Information about the course maps & other details for the Ladakh Marathon 2024 not yet available. Please check the information from the 2023 event below
| Silk Route Ultra | Khardungla Challenge | Marathon | Half Marathon | 11.2K | 5K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route Details | SRU Route Map | KC Route Map | FM Route Map | HM Route Map | 11K Route Map | 5K Route Map |
Silk Route Ultra and Khardungla Challenges have a POINT-TO-POINT race route while all Other races at the Ladakh Marathon have an OUT & BACK race route with the below-mentioned Start and Finish points:
| Start Point | Finish Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Silk Route Ultra Challenge | Kyagar Village | Main Market, Leh |
| Khardungla Challenge | Khardung Village | Main Market, Leh |
| All Other races | NDS Memorial Stadium | NDS Memorial Stadium |
Prize Money
For the Ladakh Marathon, top runners are given awards. No further details are available.
2023 and Earlier Edition Results/Photos
Results
- Check Results for Ladakh Marathon 2023 – Silk Route Ultra
- Check Results for Ladakh Marathon 2023 – Khardung La Challenge
- Check Results for Ladakh Marathon 2023 – Marathon, Half Marathon & 10.5K Run
- Check Results for Ladakh Marathon 2022 – Silk Route Ultra
- Check Results for Ladakh Marathon 2022 – Khardung La Challenge
- Check Results for Ladakh Marathon 2022 – Marathon, Half Marathon & 10.5K run
- Check Results for Ladakh Marathon 2019
- Check Results for Ladakh Marathon 2019- Khardung La Challenge
- Check Results for earlier editions of the Ladakh Marathon
Photos
Important Points
- Please read sections on APPLICATION FEE, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, TERMS & CONDITIONS, and Risk & Indemnity before completing the registration form.
- Registration is non-refundable and non-transferable.
- Acceptance of Entries: Only one entry per person is allowed – multiple applications will be rejected. However, participants of the Khardung La Challenge and Silk Route Ultra can also register for any of the other four races of the Ladakh Marathon. Runners need to provide details of previous marathons/ runs as per eligibility criteria at the time of registration. Full vaccination for Coivd-19 is compulsory.
- Acclimatization: Acclimatisation is imperative and important for anyone planning to participate in Ladakh Marathon. Unlike other marathons, participation in the Ladakh Marathon requires the runners to arrive in Leh at least a week in advance to acclimatize. Following are recommended timelines for runners to reach Ladakh.
- For Silk Route Ultra and Khardung La Challenge – runners are advised to arrive at least 10 days in advance
- For Half Marathon and marathons – runners are advised to arrive at least 7 days in advance
- For the 05 km Ladakh Run for Fun and 11.2 Km Race – runners are advised to arrive at least 5 days in advance
- Aid station: All aid stations have water, energy drinks, snacks like fruits, dates, boiled potatoes, jaggery, etc. being served. Water is available only as a refill facility hence participants are advised to carry bottles/ hydration belts/ packs Toilet facilities are available in the form of dry pits.
- Arrival in Leh: By submitting the application participants also acknowledge and agree that they need to arrive in Leh town as per guidelines recommended by Ladakh Marathon.
- Baggage: Other than the baggage deposit counter at the starting point, there would be places along the route to layer off clothes and belongings that can be collected at the finish point.
- Bib collection: It is compulsory for the participants to collect their running bibs and timing chips themselves. No one can pick the running bib on anyone’s behalf. Photo ID card and proof of vaccination are compulsory at the time of bob collection.
- Change of Race category/Transfer of Registration to next year: Change is permitted up to prespecified date , by way of written intimation to the organizers. Participants will be charged processing fee. Transfer of registration is also permitted up to prespecified date, by way of written intimation to the organizers. Post the prespecified date no request for transfer shall be entertained.
- Event cancellation: In case the event is canceled due to circumstances that are beyond the control of the organizers, all confirmed registrations for the year will automatically be carried forward to next year in the same race category. There is no refund of fee in case of event cancellation except for serving Indian Defence Personnel.
- Essentials.
- a) Clothing: Recommend carrying Dri-Fit Track pants/shorts/tights, fleece jacket, and Short/Long-sleeved Dri-Fit T-shirts.
- b) Accessories: Sun hat/cap, Sunglasses, Sunblock, and Water bottle/hydration belt/ pack addition, for runners of Silk Route Ultra and Khardung La Challenge.
- c) Thermal layers, Light gloves, Headlamps, waterproof/windproof jacket, a sleeping bag of minimum -5° C grade, Moleskins, and hand towel.
- d) Prescribed Medicines & common medicines like Aspirin, Antacids, and lozenges.
- e) Band-Aids, antiseptic cream.
- High Altitude sickness occurs when the body does not adjust to the altitude due to a lack of oxygen leading to lightheadedness in most cases. Serious altitude sickness can lead to High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (fluid retention in the lungs) and High altitude cerebral edema (fluid retention in the brain).
- Medical & Volunteer support: Crowd/traffic control and medical support are provided including ambulances, doctors, and nurses on standby. Other than this volunteers equipped with walkie-talkies are deployed at regular intervals along the route.
- Mode of application: You can apply either online or send the completed application form through post mail.
- Temperature: In September, the temperature varies from 6° -12°C at the start of the race but rises to 20°-24° C by the afternoon. For Khardung La Challenge temperature at Khardung Village in the early morning ranges from -3° to 4°C.
- Time limits are applicable for all races. Runners/ walkers are expected to finish in the following times:
- Run Ladakh for Fun: No Cut off time
- 11.2km Run: 2 hrs
- Half Marathon: 3 hr 45 min
- Full Marathon: 6 hrs 45 min
- Khardung La Challenge
- Silk Route Ultra: There are cut-off timings at 7 different race points (Pls see race route for details)
- The limit to the number of participants is only for the Khardung La Challenge and Silk Route Ultra, the same being 200 and 60 respectively.
Contact Information
Address & Phone: Ladakh Marathon Khagshal, Gonpa Road, Leh – 194 101, UT Ladakh, India
Phone: + 91 1982 253348, 253257
Ladakh Marathon Hub
Hotel Kanglhachen Complex(Opposite to Police Station & CMO office) Karzoo, Leh, UT Ladakh
Phone: +91 1982 251884 / 253348
Email: info@ladakhmarathon.com
Website: https://ladakhmarathon.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@Ladakh_Marathon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladakhmarathon
