The Patnitop Marathons fourth edition was sponsored by Skyview by Empyrean and organized by K.A. Sports and Events, a company founded by Iron Man 140.6 miles triathlete Kapil Arora, with support from the Patnitop Development Authority and Jammu and Kashmir Tourism.
The marathon received over 500+ participants from 14 states registered for the competitive 21.1 km half-marathon and 10km race under four age categories: 18-35 years, 35-45 years, 45-55 years, and 55+ years.
Skyview by Empyrean, India’s leading sustainable mobility and tourism infrastructure destination, ushered in the 4th edition of India’s most beautiful hill race – the Patnitop Marathon 4.0 – on May 26th with much aplomb. It was organized by K.A. Sports and Events, a company founded by Iron Man 140.6 miles triathlete Kapil Arora, with support from the Patnitop Development Authority and Jammu and Kashmir Tourism.
Patnitop Marathon Flagoff
Brigadier Shantanu Kashyap, Sena Medal, Brig Aviation HQ, Northern Command, graced the event as the chief guest. Whereas several dignitaries including Deputy Commissioner Udhampur – Ms. Saloni Rai, IAS, Joint Director Tourism – Ms Sunaina Sharma Mehta, JKAS, and CEO Patnitop Development Authority – Sh. Devender Singh Bhau, JKAS, were also present on the occasion.
Winners of Patnitop Marathon
This iconic edition celebrated the spirit of sportsmanship and promoted the importance of health and fitness among people of all age groups. It also drew over 500 participants from 48 cities and 14 states and union territories across the country.
“I want to congratulate all organizers for successfully organizing Patnitop 4.0. I am sure this will help in promoting Patnitop across India. Additionally, such events also adhere to the objectives of Fit-India movement. I wish all the participants who have come from various locations all the very best,” said Ms. Deputy Commissioner Udhampur – Ms. Saloni Rai, IAS.
Runners participated under four age categories: 18-35 years, 35-45 years, 45-55 years, and 55+ years in the competitive 21.1km half marathon and 10km run. The non-competitive 5-km run was open to participants of 5 years and above.
The winners of the various categories were:
Winners List – Category Male – Distance 21km
Age Group 18-35
Age Group 35-45
Age Group 45-55
Age Group 55 above
Position
Name
Position
Name
Position
Name
Position
Name
1st
Ritik Sharma
1st
Vijay Sharma
1st
Hemanshu Prakash
1st
Ajay Gondotra
2nd
Suhail Bhat
2nd
Samvit Sharma
2nd
Vinod Godbole
2nd
O.P. Sharma
3rd
Sitanshu Sharma
3rd
Prakash Kumar
3rd
Rohit Jain
3rd
Er. Satpal Kalsi
Winners List – Category Female – Distance 21Km
Age Group 18-35
Age Group 35-45
Age Group 45-55
Position
Name
Position
Name
Position
Name
1st
Rimpi Devi
1st
Sunita Yadav
1st
Bhavna Salathia
2nd
Nandita Bayan
2nd
Shilpa Chaku Handoo
2nd
Sonali Pathak
3rd
Palak Malhi
3rd
Shalini Gupta
Winners List – Category Male – Distance 10Km
Age Group 18-35
Age Group 35-45
Age Group 45-55
Age Group 55 above
Position
Name
Position
Name
Position
Name
Position
Name
1st
Brij Bhushan
1st
Abhishek Sharma
1st
Mohammad Yahya Khan
1st
Anil Katoch
2nd
Balvinder Singh
2nd
Parveez Khan
2nd
Rohit Sadhotra
2nd
Prem Kumar
3rd
Pankaj Kumar
3rd
Shabir Ahmed Khan
3rd
Bhushan Sharma
3rd
Bali Subhash
Winners List – Category Female – Distance 10Km
Age Group 18-35
Age Group 35-45
Age Group 45-55
Age Group 55 above
Position
Name
Position
Name
Position
Name
Position
Name
1st
Mandeep Kour
1st
Prerna Sharma
1st
Manminder Kaur
1st
Rekha Katoch
2nd
Anadika Thakur
2nd
Asima Raj
2nd
Shipra Aggarwal
2nd
Seloni Khajuria
3rd
Rajni Rajput
3rd
Shweta Mittal
3rd
Sonia Sawhney
3rd
Anita Gupta
“Being a premium destination that represents adventure, luxury, nature, and sustainability, hosting the annual Patnitop Marathon is a natural extension of what we represent at Skyview by Empyrean. We are delighted to have hosted this chapter of the race in association with Mr. Kapil Arora. The scenic run offered participants an opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the Himalayan region while challenging themselves physically. We hope they thoroughly enjoyed setting new personal records against the beautiful backdrop of the Jammu hills,” said Owais Altaf Syed, Group Director at FIL Industries Private Limited.
Participants received an official t-shirt, a finishers medal, a post-race breakfast, a sports drink, race day photos, and a digital certificate. Furthermore, each runner could avail themselves of a complimentary two-way gondola ride on the race day.
About Skyview by Empyrean
Empyrean Skyview Projects (A unit of FIL Industries Private Limited) is the nomenclature for the unit of FIL Industries that undertakes the development of sustainable mobility and tourism infrastructure projects. Founded in July 2019, Skyview by Empyrean is a mountain harbour that houses exhilarating experiences including a world class gondola (ropeway), adventure activities, delectable dining, luxury accommodation, and an artisanal boutique shop – ‘Hands of Gold’ that curates regional artefacts and products all in the lap of the beautiful Sanget-Patnitop valley, Jammu & Kasmir.
This luxe outdoor haven nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, only an hour and a half drive from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi temple at Katra, offers guests the best-in-class-services and world-class infrastructure while celebrating nature through its green tourism initiatives.
The company’s flagship property spread across 22 acres, is the single largest investment in tourism in the state and the largest non-road public-private partnership. It houses luxury rooms and suites where guests can enjoy a mlange of exciting mountain experiences, including a ride in Skyview Gondola (ropeway). Skyview Gondola is India’s highest (in terms of ground clearance) and CEN (European) certified Gondola. The 2.8km thrilling ride from Sanget to Patnitop is completed in 10-13 minutes. Skyview offers its guests best-in-class service and dining options prepared by Skyview’s highly decorated F&B team.
Skyview By Empyrean is a Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI) certified company. It is compliant with the parameters of Sustainable & Responsible Tourism as practiced by RTSOI and set as a standard by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. These include promoting sustainability management, as well as socio-economic, cultural, and environmental sustainability.
It also offers adventure sports, curated itineraries for long and short treks, mountain biking, archery, all-terrain vehicles, trails to pristine campsites, and calm nature walks with naturalists and trekking specialists to ensure every guided experience is memorable.
Skyview by Empyrean has won several accolades for its niche services and offerings, including the ‘Best Adventure Tourism Destination 2019’ by FICCI and Ernst & Young; the ‘Best Lifestyle and Adventure Destination 2021’ award by the International Tourism Conclave & Travel Awards (ITCTA); the ‘Resort Destination of the Year 2021’ by India International Travel Mart; ‘India’s First Sustainable Eco-friendly Responsible Tourism Lifestyle Destinations’ by the International Tourism Conclave & Travel Awards (ITCTA) in 2022 ; and the ‘Pathfinder Award for Adventure Infrastructure Innovation’ by the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) in December 2023.
amir aftab