Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah participated in Kashmir's first-ever International Marathon on Sunday and ran 21 kilometres in two hours alongside over 2000 athletes. The first chief minister of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has never run over 13 kilometres before.
The 54-year-old said he achieved this feat without any proper training or running plan. "I'm so damn pleased with myself today. I completed the Kashmir Half Marathon - 21 KM at an average pace of 5 min 54 sec per KM. 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 & others out to cheer me on," Abdullah said on X.
"You don't need drugs to feel good or beat stress. A good run, whether a kilometre or a marathon, is enough to clear the cobwebs & achieve a natural feeling of euphoria & enthusiasm. Try it, you won’t regret it. Let’s start running for a drug free J&K," the Chief Minister wrote in another post on X.
Actor Suniel Shetty, who attended the event alongside Abdullah, praised the significance of the marathon. He said, "People want to come to Kashmir, and an event like this sends a message to the entire world that participants from all over the globe are coming here. It's a big deal... It's (J&K) a paradise for the world".