Live from Ladakh with RunPlayGo!

Live every day from the Ladakh Marathon – reporting by Rajesh Koul

Day 1

With incessant rains lashing North India and Delhi NCR, the day began with a lot of dilemma – would the flight even take off, and if it did, would it land safely?

Amidst all the ifs and buts, the morning turned out positive as the flight departed on time at 6:30 and landed punctually in Leh. A light drizzle welcomed us with a crisp 9°C temperature. What initially seemed like an easy day soon turned challenging, as heavy rains lashed Leh throughout, pushing the temperatures further down.

I managed a walk to the BIB Expo, which went smoothly. With flights from Delhi taking off but unable to land in Leh, the Expo wasn’t crowded at all.

A mild headache lingered through the day, likely due to the chill in the air. This year feels entirely different from the last – back then it was bright and sunny, with me roaming around in shorts and t-shirts. Now, a heavy jacket and warm innerwear are essential. Be prepared for the dipping temperatures – a heavy jacket is a must!

Let’s see what Leh has in store for us tomorrow.

This is Rajesh Koul, reporting for RunPlayGo!

Day 2

Day 2 turned out to be a good day for a few runners whose flights managed to land in Leh. For the rest, whose flights could not make it, it was yet another day of despair.

The worst part was that these runners were not accommodated on any flights today and had to rebook for the 5th of September, hoping that the organizers would show leniency and allow one more day for BIB collection for KC and SRU.

This is Rajesh Koul, reporting for RunPlayGo!

Day 3 & 4

The day began with an easy 10K run towards the airport – 5K of decline followed by an equal incline. It was a nice, comfortable run in the sunny morning, with temperatures slightly warmer than before.

The rest of the day was well spent balancing work and then enjoying a leisurely stroll through the Leh market.

However, some disappointing news came for the ultra runners scheduled to arrive tomorrow. They will not be able to collect their BIBs, as the organizers cannot afford to compromise on safety. Instead, they have been given three options:

Shift their entry to 2026

Run a Full Marathon (FM) or Half Marathon (HM)

Opt for a refund

The day ended with a cup of tea shared among fellow runners – wrapping up a day filled with mixed emotions.

Let’s see what Day 5 has in store. The body seems to be responding well with some rest, light walks, and plenty of water intake.

Cheers!!

This is Rajesh Koul, reporting for RunPlayGo!

Day 5 & 6 Ladakh

The days started with 10-15K runs within Leh on the Ladakh Marathon route. Although the temperatures dipped with drizzle and occasional heavy rains, there were runners all over the city of Leh.
Both days being the BIB expo for Ladakh Marathon, Half Marathon, 11k and 5K saw a hustle at the venue.
Khardungla Top received a fresh spell of snowfall last evening but that doesnt seem to be dettering the morale of the runners.

Cheers!

This is Rajesh Koul, reporting for RunPlayGo!

Day 7

The day started with a morning 5K run with the COROS gang followed by a hot coffee. With just a couple of days left for Race Day, I made it a point to do a route recce and a short run at the Khardungla Top. It was all covered in snow, with heavy snowfall at that time as well. We stayed at KTOP for 30-odd minutes after exploring KTOP towards the North Pullu route to check our acclimatization levels, and fortunately, we fared well.

A blissful destination for a runner… Let’s see what is in store for me!
KC’2025!!

Race Briefing

We gathered at 8 AM on Thursday, 11 September at the NDS Stadium grounds in Leh, where all participants received a detailed ultra race briefing and submitted their layering on/off bags for K-top and South Pulu to the event organisers.

Following the briefing, we were transported to Khardung village, the official race starting point, where the organisers had arranged comfortable accommodation for participants.

This is Rajesh Koul, reporting for RunPlayGo!

Author :

Rajesh Koul

Rajesh Koul is a corporate professional working with a Global Telecom Giant. Running is his passion and with notable marathons & Ultra Marathons under his belt he believes that "running" acts as a healer. He has been cascading the joy of running within the community and putting in his best effort to build a big one in his corporate journey.