Srinagar: Terming it a positive message for the people who want to visit Kashmir, the Chief Minister of J&K , Omar Abdullah on Sunday completed his personal best of 21 kilometre run during inaugural Kashmir Marathon held in Srinagar.
Omar took to X to share the update and visuals from his run.
“I’m so damn pleased with myself today. I completed the Kashmir Half Marathon – 21 KM at an average pace of 5 min 54 sec per KM,” he said in the post.
“I’ve never run more than 13 KM in my life & that too only ever once. Today I just kept going, propelled by the enthusiasm of other amateur runners like myself. No proper training, no running plan, no nutrition. Picked up a banana & a couple of khajoor along the way. The best part was running past my home with family & others out to cheer me on,” the 54-year-old added in his post.
In another post, Mr Abdullah said he clicked lots of selfies along the way and even received appointment requests. What’s more, some journalists also tried to grab interviews.
“It was such fun running with others. Lots of selfies & videos along the way. I even had a few requests for appointments and one or two job related problems highlighted along the way. Let’s not forget the enterprising journalists who tried to run along side in the hope of grabbing an interview,” he said.
Mr Abdullah also advised people to try running to beat stress. “You don’t need drugs to feel good or beat stress. A good run, whether a kilometer or a marathon, is enough to clear the cobwebs & achieve a natural feeling of euphoria & enthusiasm. Try it, you won’t regret it. Let’s start running for a drug free J&K,” he posted.
The Chief Minister also responded to an ANI post in which a Delhi half-marathon participant complained about the national capital’s air quality.
“Come and run in the Kashmir marathon next time, air quality will be better & the scenery is pretty good too,” he said.
Meanwhile earlier Omar Abdullah flagged off Kashmir Marathon from Srinagar’s Polo Stadium.
Actor Suniel Shetty was also present. “People want to come to Kashmir, and an event like this gives a message to the entire world that people from all over the world are coming here to participate and it’s a big thing… It’s a paradise for the world,” Shetty told the media.