ISLAMABAD: The first Pakistan Karakoram Marathon, hosted by Serena Hotels in collaboration with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Z Adventures, drew hundreds of avid marathon aficionados including international record holders and prize winners to the beautiful Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region.
Thirty-five international athletes from 24 nations arrived in Islamabad over the weekend while an additional thirty-five Pakistani runners also participated. The runners were joined by 70 members of the armed forces staff.
The five-star Serena Hotels housed the participants over the course of the event, taking the opportunity to showcase the immense beauty and extraordinary tourist attractions of Pakistan. The seven days adventure included visiting interesting tourist spots in Islamabad and Northern Pakistan.
PAF was responsible for the logistics of the event and Project Director Air Commodore Shahid Nadeem said, “Hosting the event has made the world realise how beautiful and hospitable Pakistan is and to portray a soft image of our country abroad. We have also been holding international ski federation races previously with the support of Serena Hotels but there was no activity for the youth during summer time. PAF intends to develop Naltar Valley as a model valley to be replicated in other parts of Pakistan”.
The full marathon was won by Aslam Khan from Ghizer in the male category whereas Careline Drew from the United Kingdom secured the first position in women category. The half marathon of was won by Shahid Ali in the male category and Nadia Raheem in women category.
