NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today inaugurated the first-ever international marathon in Srinagar, and he not only flagged off the event alongside Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty but also participated by running 21 kilometers himself, completing the distance in 2 hours. This significant event in Srinagar attracted over 2,000 athletes from various regions, including international participants.

Abdullah expressed his enthusiasm for the marathon, which was flagged off from Polo Stadium, Srinagar, with dozens of international athletes participating in it. "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," he said in the post, highlighting its potential to promote sports and tourism in the region.

He completed the half marathon at an impressive pace, despite admitting he had never run more than 13 kilometers before this event. His participation was seen as a demonstration of physical fitness and a commitment to encouraging athletic activities in Kashmir.

"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," the 54-year-old National Conference leader added in his post.

In a following post, Abdullah, who recorded himself running with other participants, said he clicked lots of selfies along the way in the marathon near the scenic Dal Lake and even received appointment requests while journalists joined him for sound bites. He described it as fun running with others. "Lots of selfies & videos along the way. I even had a few requests for appointments and one or two job-related problems highlighted along the way. Let's not forget the enterprising journalists who tried to run alongside in the hope of grabbing an interview," he said.

The J&K Department of Tourism has received over 2,030 registrations from athletes from across the world, and the marathon saw the participation of 59 athletes from 13 countries and elite athletes from 29 across states and UTs in two categories of races, a 42-km full marathon and a half-marathon of 21 km.

Actor Suniel Shetty said that an event like this gives a message to the entire world that people from all over the world are coming here to participate, and it's a big thing. "It's a paradise for the world," Shetty said to media persons at the event. Meanwhile, four African athletes were among the first to conclude the 42 Km Kashmir Marathon in Srinagar, with others following behind.