Many hope to visit again to explore valley
Srinagar, Oct 19 As the big show—the Kashmir International Marathon—is set to be held tomorrow in the heart of Srinagar city, foreign athletes are equally excited and eagerly waiting to start this race on the soil of Kashmir for the first time.
With excitement on their faces and the hope that this Marathon is going to be fun and interesting, the athletes said, adding that it would be their first time running in a place surrounded by mountains.
Jistin from New Zealand, who lives in South Africa, spoke with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) on the sidelines of a press conference held by the Director of Tourism in Srinagar.
“I live in Durban, South Africa and it’s going to be a good temperature to run in Kashmir. I am here along with my fellow athletes. I’m looking forward to people coming and cheering for us,” Jistin said. “I have run in China, Greenland, Iceland and other parts of the world, but I think seeing people on the course will be amazing. In other places, local people are not seen on the course, so this will be a great feeling.”
Another athlete Cecilia from Denmark, said she has run in China, Denmark, Berlin and other countries. “The people here are very friendly, and it’s nice to see such an atmosphere. The race course is going to be fun with so many people around,” she said.
Sitya from Finland expressed, “I am very excited to be here in Kashmir and run for the first time. I am running the half marathon tomorrow and expecting a good spirit from everyone. It’s a new experience for me to run in such beautiful places. Running amidst such scenic beauty, and the hospitality of Kashmir is wonderful, as people are very kind and friendly.”
Sitya hopes to visit Kashmir again as the Marathon is time-bound. “I want to see more of Kashmir. One day I will return to explore more of this place,” she said.
For the first time, Kashmir will host a mega International Marathon with the participation of 2,000 athletes, including 59 foreign international athletes. They will run a full marathon (42 kilometres) and a half marathon (21 kilometres) tomorrow (Sunday)
