Over 2,000 athletes take part Kashmir's first international marathon

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday flagged off Kashmir Marathon, the first international athletic event to be held in the valley.

Abdullah was accompanied by Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty at the flagging ceremony of the marathon in which around 2000 athletes from across the country and abroad took part.

The participants included top long-distance runners from India, Asian gold medallists and some of the best runners from Europe and Africa.

There were be two categories of the races - a 42-km full marathon and a half-marathon of 21 kilometres.

The event was organised by the Department of Tourism with the aim to show the world that the situation has improved in the valley.

"Kashmir is open to all. We welcome tourists from different parts of the world. If someone is running 42 km, it itself makes a statement that Kashmir is now peaceful," Tourism Director Raja Yaqoob said on Saturday.

"We also want to showcase our heritage, niche products, handicrafts, cuisine to the world. These runners have millions of followers on their social media, so they will be our brand ambassadors," he added.