Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Suraj Meena Finishes Second in Ladakh Ultra Marathon
Suraj Meena is a long-distance runner from Rajasthan.
He finished second in a very difficult 122km race in Ladakh.
He was the fastest runner who was not from Ladakh.
Reports give his finishing time as about 12 and a half hours, with one specifying 12 hours and 35 minutes.
Running high in the mountains was hard because the air made breathing difficult.
Meena had trained in Ladakh for one month before the race.
He led the race for the first 40km.
When the ground became higher, he used a strategy of walking and running.
He also prepared for the mountains by cycling from Jaipur to Ladakh in 2024.
Rajasthan runner Suraj Meena finished second in the 122km Silk Route Ultra Ladakh Marathon.
Meena was the first non-Ladakhi finisher, completing the race in about 12.5 hours; one report specifies 12 hours and 35 minutes.
He said high altitude, heavy breathing and increasing elevation made the race especially difficult for runners from outside Ladakh.
Meena led for the first 40km before switching to a run-walk strategy as the altitude increased.
He trained in Ladakh for a month and previously cycled 2,400km from Jaipur via Manali to Ladakh in 12 days.
- Who
- Suraj Meena, a long-distance runner from Rajasthan.
- What
- He finished second and was the first non-Ladakhi finisher in the 122km Silk Route Ultra Ladakh Marathon.
- When
- Friday, September 11; the year is not specified in the reports.
- Where
- Leh, Ladakh.
- Why
- He trained for the high-altitude race, where reduced oxygen and increasing elevation made running difficult for non-Ladakhis.
- Race
- Silk Route Ultra Ladakh Marathon
- Distance
- 122km
- Result
- Second overall and first among non-Ladakhis
- Finish time
- About 12.5 hours; one report specifies 12 hours and 35 minutes
- Previous non-Ladakhi record
- 15 hours and six minutes
- Altitude preparation
- One month of training in Ladakh
- Cycling journey
- 2,400km from Jaipur via Manali to Ladakh in 12 days
