Gangtok, Oct 29 The third edition of the Chewabhangyang 10K Trail Run attracted over 300 participants, including runners from neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan, as Sikkim seeks to promote adventure sports and nature-based tourism.
The event was organised on Thursday by the Dentam Tourism Development Society (DTDS) in collaboration with the state Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, according to an official press statement.
The run began at 8 am from Uttarey Bazar, with participants in the 10-km category navigating challenging uphill and mountainous terrain to reach Chewabhangyang, situated at an altitude of 10,299 feet along the India-Nepal border.
Of the total 308 participants, 230 competed in the 10-km trail run, while 78 took part in the 5-km junior category, the statement said.
The 10-km race featured separate men’s and women’s competitions across four age groups — 18-35 years, 36-49 years, 50-59 years, and 60 years and above. The junior event was open to boys and girls of 14-17 years.
The initiative aims to showcase the natural beauty of the Chewabhangyang region, attract visitors and create tourism-related opportunities for local communities, the statement said.
It added that emergency medical support and other necessary assistance were arranged along the route to ensure the safety of participants.
The event concluded at Chewabhangyang with the distribution of prizes, medals and certificates to winners and participants across the various categories.
The trail run is part of efforts to establish Chewabhangyang as a destination for adventure sports and nature-based tourism. The second edition, held on November 2 last year, drew more than 200 runners from Sikkim, other parts of the country and neighbouring Nepal.
(PTI News)
