• More than 6,000 runners participate in Run for Unity
• Calls for discipline, fitness and drug-free youth
• J&K Police commended for organising marathon
Yaqoob Ali
Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said the Kashmir Marathon-Run for Unity reflected the youth’s resolve for a united India, as more than 6,000 runners participated in different categories of the event organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Addressing the closing and felicitation ceremony, Sinha commended the enthusiasm of the participants and described the marathon as a symbol of peace, unity and progress in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the event was not merely about speed or endurance but about collective determination and the ability to overcome challenges together.
“The Run for Unity race is not merely the speed of our steps. It is the speed of our resolve and it is the speed of that faith which tells us that when people walk together, no destination remains impossible,” Sinha said.
The Lieutenant Governor said India’s diversity in language, traditions, food and attire was complemented by a shared national identity.
“Unity is India’s strength, and when millions of steps move in one direction, even the highest mountains can be crossed,” he said.
Sinha said the participation of young people in the marathon sent a message that collective efforts could help achieve difficult goals.
“Through the Kashmir Marathon-Run for Unity, youth have sent a message that no goal is too distant for a united India,” he said.
He said the participation of runners was an investment in a shared future and that the event represented the aspirations of a younger generation in Jammu and Kashmir seeking a better future.
The LG also called upon youth to maintain discipline, focus on fitness and stay away from drugs. He urged them to become ambassadors of the Fit India Movement and contribute to nation-building.
Referring to the 100-day NashaMukt Jammu Kashmir Campaign, Sinha said the initiative had involved young people through padyatras and civic action programmes.
He said the significance of a marathon extended beyond reaching the finish line, emphasising the importance of supporting one another and moving forward collectively.
“Though we may have come from different paths, our destination is one. Our identities may be many, but our national identity is one,” Sinha said.
He also referred to the resolve of building a developed India by 2047, saying Jammu and Kashmir’s youth had an important role in the process.
Sinha congratulated the runners and appreciated the Jammu and Kashmir Police for organising the marathon.
DGP Nalin Prabhat, ADGP Armed Police Nitish Kumar, ADGP CID M.K. Sinha, senior officers of the police and civil administration, sports personalities and a large number of youth attended the closing and felicitation ceremony.
