Kargil to Kohima marathon flagged off by Air Vice Marshal PM Sinha

NEW DELHI: The Kargil to Kohima (K2K) Ultra-Marathon -'Glory Run' was flagged off from Kargil War Memorial, Drass by Air Vice Marshal PM Sinha AVSM VSM, Air Officer Commanding J&K on Saturday.

To commemorate the 20th year of Kargil Victory and to live up to the true tradition and motto of IAF i.e. 'Touch the Sky with Glory', the unique expedition -- K2K -- is being undertaken by IAF from Kargil War Memorial, Drass (J&K) to the Kohima War Cemetery in Nagaland.

Kohima and Kargil are the two forward most outposts of India in the East and in the North where two of the fiercest battles were fought in 1944 and 1999 respectively. The K2K - Glory Run -will culminate on November 6.

In this unique tryst, a team of 25 Air Warriors will cover a distance of more than 4500 km in 45 days by running an average of 100 km daily. The aim of the expedition is to promote awareness for 'Pedestrian Safety' and the recently launched 'Fit India Movement' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also to pay tribute to the brave hearts who have made the supreme sacrifice for our motherland.

Earlier, on September 6, 2019 Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Air Staff handed over the 'Glory Torch' to the team leader Squadron Leader Suresh Razdan at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhavan), New Delhi.

The team has been selected after rigorous selection trials and has undergone strenuous training at Air Force Station Leh to undertake the 'Ultra-Marathon'. The composite team consisting of officers and airmen including one female officer Flight Lieutenant Rishab Jeet Kaur and also Warrant Officer Indra Pal Singh, whose age is 51 years. The expedition is led by Squadron Leader Suresh Razdan who is a Su-30 aircraft pilot.

The team will be following the Drass-Leh-Manali Highway where average elevation is 13,000 feet with its highest elevation being 17,480 ft at the Tanglang-La mountain pass. The team will be crossing many small streams of ice-cold water from snow-capped mountains which demands audacious attitude to negotiate the treacherous mountainous terrain. Some of the passes in the Ladakh region are Namiki-La (12,198 ft), Fout-La (13,510 ft), Tanglang-La (17,480 ft), Lachung-La (16,613 ft), Baralancha-La (16,040 ft) and Rohtang (13,129 ft). The team will undertake this adventurous expedition involving camping and living outdoors, managing and surviving in snow, rain and extreme climate through varied terrain of Ladakh, HP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Nagaland, stated a release.

The IAF has been promoting adventure activities for its personnel and has achieved feats at national and international level. With the nucleus of expertise in various adventure disciplines, IAF has been attempting unique tryst to showcase and instill qualities of camaraderie, team spirit and courage which are the very foundation of a fighting force.

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