CM Dhami honours winners at Adi Kailash Run 2.0 in Pithoragarh
Synopsis
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the Adi Kailash Parikrama Run 2.0 at Gunji, Pithoragarh, honoured winners, and announced a 100 Miles Himalayan Endurance Ultra Run for the first week of May — the state's most ambitious adventure-sports event yet.
Key Takeaways
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the Adi Kailash Parikrama Run 2.0 at Gunji, Pithoragarh on 25 October 2026 .
He personally felicitated the winning athletes and encouraged all participants at the event.
The CM announced a '100 Miles Himalayan Endurance Ultra Run' to be held in the first week of May .
The event is set in the Adi Kailash pilgrimage corridor, a site the Uttarakhand government actively promotes as an alternative to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
The initiative aligns with Uttarakhand's broader strategy of using adventure-sports events to drive tourism in remote border districts.
High in the Himalayas, at Gunji village in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand's toughest runners gathered for the 'Adi Kailash Parikrama Run 2.0' — and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was there on Sunday, 25 October 2026, to personally honour the winners and cheer on every participant who made it to the finish line.
Sharing the moment on X, CM Dhami wrote that he participated in the event at Gunji, Pithoragarh, felicitated the winning athletes, and encouraged all participants. In the same breath, he announced that the '100 Miles Himalayan Endurance Ultra Run' will be held in the first week of May — raising the stakes considerably for Uttarakhand's growing adventure-sports calendar.
Gunji at the heart of the Adi Kailash circuit
Gunji is no ordinary venue. It sits on the traditional pilgrimage trail to Adi Kailash, the sacred Himalayan peak in Pithoragarh district that the Uttarakhand government has actively developed as an alternative to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra — a route now largely inaccessible across the border. Staging an endurance run here is a deliberate statement: adventure and spirituality, side by side, in one of the most remote corners of the Indian Himalayas.
The district's rugged terrain — steep ridgelines, glacial valleys, and thin air — makes it a natural arena for endurance athletes, and the state has been leaning into that edge. Events like the Adi Kailash Parikrama Run are part of a broader Uttarakhand push to turn border-district geography into a tourism and sports asset.
The 100-Mile Ultra: raising the bar in May
The headline announcement from CM Dhami at the event was the upcoming '100 Miles Himalayan Endurance Ultra Run', slated for the first week of May. A hundred-mile race through Himalayan terrain is a serious proposition — the kind of event that draws hardened ultramarathon runners from across the country and beyond. It signals that Uttarakhand is not content with a regional adventure circuit; it is pitching for a marquee slot on the national endurance-sports map.
Local tourism operators and adventure-sports communities in the region stand to benefit directly, as a well-attended ultra run generates footfall, accommodation demand, and visibility for the Adi Kailash corridor at exactly the right season — just before the summer pilgrimage rush begins.
Uttarakhand has form here: the state has steadily grown its portfolio of Himalayan endurance events in recent years, and each new edition expands both the audience and the infrastructure around it. If the 100-mile event lands as announced, it will be the most ambitious entry yet.
Point of View
Linking sports tourism directly to the state's long-running effort to rehabilitate pilgrimage routes cut off from Tibet. A 100-mile event, if it materialises with the scale implied, would mark a meaningful step-up from regional event to national endurance-sports fixture — with real economic consequences for an otherwise underserved district.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Adi Kailash Parikrama Run?
The Adi Kailash Parikrama Run is an endurance running event held in the Adi Kailash pilgrimage corridor in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. The 2026 edition, 'Run 2.0', was held at Gunji village and attended by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Where is Gunji located and why is it significant?
Gunji is a village in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, situated on the traditional trail to the sacred Himalayan peak of Adi Kailash. It lies in a remote border area that the Uttarakhand government has been developing as a pilgrimage and adventure-tourism destination.
What is the 100 Miles Himalayan Endurance Ultra Run announced by CM Dhami?
CM Dhami announced the '100 Miles Himalayan Endurance Ultra Run' at the Adi Kailash Parikrama Run 2.0 event. It is scheduled for the first week of May, though specific route details and scale are yet to be officially confirmed.
What is Adi Kailash and why does Uttarakhand promote it?
Adi Kailash is a sacred Himalayan peak in Pithoragarh district, revered as a counterpart to Mount Kailash in Tibet. Because the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route via China has become largely inaccessible, the Uttarakhand government has developed Adi Kailash as an alternative pilgrimage and tourism circuit.
How is Uttarakhand developing adventure sports tourism in border areas?
Uttarakhand has been steadily hosting endurance and adventure events in remote Himalayan districts to promote sports tourism, develop local economies, and draw attention to border-area infrastructure and pilgrimage sites like the Adi Kailash corridor.
