Kathua, Oct 20: Around 500 individuals took part in the 21-kilometre Half Marathon organised today as part of Basohli Utsav 2026, promoting fitness, sportsmanship and athletic excellence amid the picturesque landscape of Basohli along the banks of the River Ravi.

The marathon was flagged off by former Minister Prem Sagar Aziz, MLA Basohli Darshan Singh, ADC Basohli Pankaj Bhagotra from the iconic Atal Setu. The route proceeded towards Dunera and culminated at Rani Talab, Basohli, after the return leg. The scenic course, featuring the iconic Atal Setu, the Ravi riverbank and Basohli's natural surroundings, added to the experience for participants.
In the men's category, Vishal Singh of Himachal Pradesh secured first position, followed by Pramod Singh of Dehradun in second place and Rohit of Udhampur in third place. In the women's category, Nikita Sharma of Una, Himachal Pradesh, secured first position, followed by Rubina of Una in second place and Ramani Patel of Madhya Pradesh in third place.
Excise Commissioner Vaibhav Kohli, gave away prizes to the winners and participants. The first, second and third-place finishers in both the men's and women's categories were awarded ₹50,000, ₹30,000 and ₹20,000, respectively. The total prize pool amounted to ₹1 lakh for each category, taking the combined prize money to ₹2 lakh.
Director ACB Shakti Pathak, CEO BBDA B. R. Tandon, SDPO Om Parkash, DFO Suresh Sharma, BDO/Executive Officer, Municipal Committee Basohli Rajesh Kumar, ZEO Radha Krishan, ZDPO Tara Singh, former Municipal Committee Chairman Sumesh Sapolia, former BSF Deputy Commandant Bhupinder Vikas, athlete Sudhir Anand and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The Half Marathon formed part of the sporting events organised under Basohli Utsav 2026, highlighting the importance of physical fitness, sporting spirit and public participation while showcasing the natural beauty and tourism potential of Basohli.