Save Water, Save Glaciers: Pangong Marathon Unites Runners for a Cause

Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon in its first edition set a Guinness World Record as the highest-altitude frozen lake marathon, writes Rinchen Angmo of ETV Bharat.

Leh, Ladakh:Imagine a day when the temperature doesn’t allow the world’s highest saltwater lake to not freeze and one can do nothing about it. Anticipating that this day does not happen, an organisation in Ladakh named Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh (ASFL) has been organising the world’s highest frozen lake marathon on Pangong Tso since 2023.

On February 20, 2023, the Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon in its first edition set a Guinness World Record as the highest-altitude frozen lake marathon, held at 4,273 meters above sea level. The marathon was titled, ‘The Last Run’ to signify the melting glaciers of the Himalayas and that this marathon may be the last time that people will be able to run on Pangong Lake. The marathon’s purpose is to raise awareness and to run with a cause and this has been amplified by Gaurav Rathore who has participated in the first two editions in 2023 and 2024 and is gearing up to participate in the third edition. This year, the Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon will take place over two days—on February 24, the Full Marathon and Ultra (55km) will be held, while the Half Marathon, 10km, and 5km fun run will take place on February 25.

Chamba Tsetan, Director of RACE and Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon informs, “In 2023, 110 runners participated in the Frozen Pangong Lake Marathon. This number grew to 220 in 2024 and further increased to 300 in 2025. The participants of the Frozen Pangong Lake Marathon comprised 50% from the Indian Army, 30% domestic adventure runners mainly from Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, 20% local participants from Ladakh, and 5-10% international runners.”

Gaurav Rathore is an HR professional living in Gurugram and he first heard about the run from a news article in 2022. He says, “The Last Run’s message around sustainability really attracted me to fill out the registration form and luckily enough I got to participate in 2023 for the Guinness World Record first edition.” For the participants, being able to run a frozen lake marathon in India is a very unique experience and the opportunity to participate in such a unique experience here in India itself is a feat in itself. He adds, “You get to meet some really amazing runners!”

Gaurav while reminiscing about the previous two editions shares, “In the first edition the entire lake was frozen and running was relatively easy. In the second edition, the lake was not completely frozen and organisers had to shift the starting point. Due to this in the second edition they had to cancel the full marathon as the weather was very windy and it snowed. Other than altitude, negative temperature the weather is a huge variable which can impact the race day and participant performance.”

As he gears up to participate in the third edition and keep his track record, he says, “Even doing it for the third time does not make it any easier and one needs to really challenge oneself both mentally and physically. All this and connecting and making new friends adds to the motivation.” For Gaurav, the most important thing is being able to complete the run.

There are multiple exciting aspects of the run, being the world's highest frozen lake run makes it a very unique and challenging experience and even the journey to the frozen Pangong lake is also an experience in itself. Participating in the marathon has given Gaurav some amazing experiences, he shares, “I have had multiple amazing experiences. Getting to meet new people and making new friends stands out for me. During the second edition, we had to change our return route from Changla Pass to Rezang La Pass as the former was closed due to heavy snowfall. This added to the already exciting experience.”

Runners from all around the world come to participate in this extraordinary challenge. Sharing the experience of the other runners, Gaurav says, “All runners are very excited as for most of them this is a first experience. Runners have a lot of questions on layering, shoes, difficulty level etc. Participants are practising with early morning runs and taking it slow as well.”

He adds, “Ultra (55km) and Full Marathon (42.195km) are happening for the first time, we should wait to hear for some good finishes. In general, the environment is very positive and friendly.”

Gaurav finishes off by saying, “The Last Run's core message is around sustainability and all of us should in our own manner make a difference in whatever way we can.”

Chamba Tsetan, says, "Initially, we started in 2003 with the primary objective of promoting winter tourism in Pangong and, secondly, raising awareness about glacier conservation. While coaching ice hockey in Maan village, eastern Ladakh, I came across the Antarctica Ice Marathon and wondered if we could organise something similar here. In 2023, we collaborated with LAHDC to organise a world record for the highest-altitude marathon, while also highlighting the issue of melting glaciers. The event was dedicated to this cause and was named The Last Run—signifying that this could be the final marathon on the frozen lake, as it may no longer freeze in the future”.

He continues, “This year, we have partnered with Jal Jeevan Mission, as their public engagement program aligns with our focus on glacier conservation. While we emphasise saving glaciers, they are dedicated to water conservation, making this collaboration a perfect fit. In just two years, the Pangong Marathon has gained recognition and it can serve as a platform to educate people about water conservation. This year’s theme is: Save Water, Save Glaciers.”