The Ladakh Marathon, one of the world's highest and most challenging marathons, attracts participants from around the globe, testing not only physical endurance but also the ability to compete at high altitudes. This year marked the 11th edition of the event, which saw approximately 6,200 registrations from 24 countries and 28 Indian states. Held from September 4 to September 8, the marathon was organized by RIMO Expeditions in collaboration with AIIMS, FIT India, Abbot World Marathon Majors, and various local and national partners. The event placed a strong emphasis on environmental consciousness, with notable initiatives such as the use of steel plates, reusable glass bottles donated by Bisleri, and a ban on single-use plastic. Runners were encouraged to bring their hydration packs to reduce waste, and students were able to register for free by contributing 20 used plastic bottles. At the closing ceremony, Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor, Brig. (Dr.) B. D. Mishra (Retd.), expressed his desire to see Ladakh's youth excel in sports and highlighted his commitment to supporting the region's athletes. He also congratulated the participants and winners, expressing hope for increased participation and improved performance in future editions. Chewang Mutup, founder and race director of the Ladakh Marathon, thanked the various stakeholders for their contributions to the event’s success, noting the achievement of important safety milestones with no serious medical incidents reported. He also acknowledged the UT Administration and LAHDC, Leh, for increasing the total prize money to ₹41,60,000 from last year’s ₹13,50,000, which is expected to inspire greater participation. The marathon offered a range of events, from the gruelling Silk Route Ultra Challenge (122 km at 17,618 ft) and the Khardungla Challenge (72 km at 17,618 ft) to a Full Marathon, Half Marathon, and shorter races. Rigzin Gyurmeth, last year’s Khardungla Challenge winner, secured first place in the Silk Route Ultra Challenge (Men's Open, 122 km) with a record-breaking time of 13:19:16, surpassing the previous record by 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 37 seconds. He was followed by Tsewang Kundan, who finished in 15:14:11, and Jigmet Stobdan, who took third place with a time of 15:53:12. In the Women’s Open category, Tenzin Dolma clinched the top spot with a time of 17:03:15, also breaking the previous year’s record by 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 37 seconds. She was followed by Shikha Pahwa in 19:25:39, and Sufiya Sufi Runner, who finished third with a time of 20:36:19. In the Men's Veteran category, Kailash finished first with a time of 19:44:53. He was followed by Ankush P. Lokhande in 20:23:13, and Shivendra Singh Bisht, who took third place with a time of 21:41:33. Jigmet Namgial, a previous position holder in last year’s full marathon, secured 1st place in the Khardungla Challenge Men’s Open with a time of 5:41:36. He was followed by Stanzin Wangchuk, who finished 2nd in 6:57:32, and Nawaz Hussain, who took 3rd place with a time of 7:07:24. In Women’s Open, Namgyal Lhamo finished 1st with a time of 9:26:59. She was followed by Skalzang Dolma, who took 2nd place in 10:45:27, and Anja Wolf, who finished 3rd with a time of 11:26:19. In the Khardungla Challenge Men’s Veteran category, Shivanand Dangwal claimed 1st place with a time of 9:00:55, followed by Marco Kuehhirt in 2nd place with a time of 9:10:55, and PK Seetaram, who took 3rd with a time of 10:32:12. In Women’s Veteran category, Asha Singh finished 1st with a time of 11:27:02. Andrea Ricarda Witzel secured 2nd place in 12:14:10, and Sharvari Raja Kher took 3rd with a time of 12:52:05.  Participants also had the option to compete in shorter distances, including the 42.195 km Full Marathon, which is the world’s highest AIMS-IAAF certified marathon; the 21.097 km Half Marathon; and the 11.2 km Run Open. These races took place in and around Leh city, extending to its outskirts. The "Run for Fun" Challenge, the shortest race at 5 km and held at an altitude of 11,500 ft, saw large numbers of participants, including many beginners. In the 42 km Full Marathon Open Female category, Disket Dolma from Nidar Nyoma emerged as the winner with a time of 03:33:41. She was followed by Jigmet Dolma in 2nd place with a time of 03:59:16 and Namgyal Lamo in 3rd place with a time of 04:22:11. In the Full Marathon Open Male category, Nawang Tsering secured 1st place with a time of 02:44:06. Anil Jindal finished 2nd in 03:02:28, and Manzoor Hussain took 3rd place with a time of 03:06:42. In the Veteran Female category, Shamala Manmohan finished 1st, with Monika Rohrlack and Mary Joshy taking 2nd and 3rd places, respectively. In male category, Yaswant Rawat finished 1st with a time of 04:23:46. Ashok Popli and Randeep Arora secured 2nd and 3rd places, with a gap of just one minute between them. For the 21.97 km Open Female category, Tashi Ladol from Skindyang village won with a time of 01:29:52. Stanzin Chondol came in 2nd at 01:34:03, and Stanzin Dolkar finished 3rd with a time of 01:34:11, just 9 seconds behind the 2nd place. In Open Male category, Tsetan Namgyal and Tsewang Nangdan from the Indian Army finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, with times of 01:17:35 and 01:17:59. Anurag Konkar secured 3rd place with a time of 01:18:27. Vidya Sundareswara took 1st place in the Veteran Female category with a time of 02:08:34. Sumita Balooni finished 2nd in 02:23:11, and Dr. Antje Kramer took 3rd place with a time of 02:53:45. In the Veteran Male category, Sukhjinder Jaspal finished 1st with a time of 02:04:15, followed by Swapan Das in 2nd place with a time of 02:05:48, and Deepak Raja in 3rd with a time of 02:06:06. For the 11.2 km Open Male challenge, Sonam Stanzin emerged as the winner with a time of 00:44:05, followed by Skarma Tharchen in 2nd place with a time of 00:46:33 and Phurbo Dorjay in 3rd place with a time of 00:47:10. In Open Female category, Skarma Lanzes secured 1st place with a time of 00:48:26. In the Veteran Female 11.2 km category, Rinchen Wangmo took 1st place with a time of 01:36:52. Gopa Ganguly finished 2nd in 01:38:08, and Pushpa Bhat secured 3rd place with a time of 01:39:16. Maik Becker won the Veteran Male 11.2 km challenge with a time of 01:01:31, followed by Naccarato Michele in 2nd place with a time of 01:04:15, and Capt Cheri Jacob in 3rd place with a time of 01:22:03.