Srinagar: Valley’s top athlete 22-year old Hamid Aziz created history on Sunday when he ran non stop for 110 kilometers from Srinagar to Baltal in Sonamarg.
Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood Ahmed Shah flagged off this first of its kind ultra marathon run at 7:15 am from Hotel Shahansha Boulevard Srinagar which culminated at Baltal in Sonamarg at 6:30 pm.
Sports Council Athletic Coach and Manager of Bakshi stadium Sheikh Tulal, Owner of Ghani Glider Sports Club were also present at the flag off ceremony.
The athlete managed to cover 110kms distance in 10.45 hours. This is for the first time that any person crossed over 100 km in a single day.
22-year-old athlete who hails from Downtown Srinagar had recently participated in 59th Senior National in July in Andra Pradesh.
Aziz has already covered 60 kilometers run on a single day earlier with the Australian marathon runner Pat Farmer who concluded his Pan India great marathon in Srinagar on March 27, 2017.
Besides that, Hamid has also won the state championship on December 9, 2013.
Earlier in his college, he won all the inter-college road races and retained the title during his under graduation studies.
His latest achievement has been the participation in the India Expedition Adventure Race which was held in Srinagar, Sonamarg and Leh.
The run was organized by Department of Tourism Kashmir with active support from Discover Kashmir travel magazine, Hotel Shahenshah Palace in Srinagar, Hotel Snowland Sonamarg, Hattrick Foods, Damna Adventures.
Meanwhile, twenty athletes were also accompanying Hamid who ran a minimum of 30 km in intervals till Sonamarg.
One of the athletes ran non-stop for 53 kilometers. Besides, three top cyclists of the Kashmir Valley also escorted Hamid Aziz.
Sky Running Federation provided technical support to the event while as physical teacher Umar Nabi and veteran athlete Riyaz Wani monitored the race.
Earlier at the flag ceremony Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah said Kashmir has no dearth of talented sports persons who need to be promoted.
“We are happy that a guy from downtown Srinagar has wished to run 110 ultra marathon run. He has been inspired by ultra marathon runner Pat Farmer. The successful completion of this ultra marathon run is an amazing feat and it also encourages other youth to take sports seriously.”
Hamid also plans to run 450 km in spring 2018 from Srinagar to Leh in seven days and 1000 kilometers in 2019 to ultimately aim for Kashmir to Kanyakumari run in five years of time.