Flight Lieutenant Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, India's only Indian Air Force officer to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra, was honoured on 4 October 2026 as thousands ran the second edition of the 'Sekhon Indian Air Force Marathon' across multiple cities, with Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh personally participating at the flagship event in New Delhi. The marathon, held simultaneously in cities including Chandigarh, Jodhpur, and Guwahati, commemorates Sekhon's supreme sacrifice during the 1971 war — a battle in which he single-handedly took on six Pakistani fighter jets over Srinagar.

The Courage Behind the Marathon

On 14 December 1971, six Pakistani fighter jets launched a surprise assault on India's Srinagar airfield. Flight Lieutenant Sekhon, deployed as a Gnat pilot, scrambled into the skies alone to intercept the attacking aircraft. In the ensuing aerial engagement, he shot down a Pakistani Sabre jet and inflicted heavy damage on a second enemy aircraft, single-handedly neutralising a multi-aircraft attack.

Sekhon defended the Srinagar base until his last breath, making the supreme sacrifice in combat. For this extraordinary act of valour, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra — India's highest wartime gallantry decoration. He remains the only IAF officer ever to have received the honour.

The Second Edition: Nationwide Tribute

The second edition of the Sekhon Indian Air Force Marathon was flagged off at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi as the first rays of the sun broke on Sunday morning. Air Force Chief A.P. Singh inaugurated the event and ran alongside participants, signalling the IAF's institutional commitment to keeping Sekhon's legacy alive.

Marathon categories were organised across three distances — 21 km, 10 km, and 5 km — drawing participants spanning diverse ages, languages, and backgrounds. Concurrently, IAF stations in Chandigarh, Guwahati (Assam), and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) hosted their own editions of the run, with senior Air Force officers and civilians running shoulder to shoulder.

This comes amid growing institutional efforts to restore the profiles of India's lesser-known war heroes beyond annual ceremonial observances. The Sekhon Marathon, now in its second consecutive year, is part of that broader push.

What the Indian Air Force Said

The Indian Air Force hailed Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon as an enduring inspiration for the nation. At the New Delhi event, the service described the marathon as more than a competitive race — calling it a living tribute to Sekhon's patriotism, combat discipline, and selfless bravery. Officers emphasised that his story, from the plains of the Northeast to the deserts of the West, belongs to every Indian.

Legacy and Significance

Sekhon's story holds particular resonance because he acted alone — without air cover or reinforcement — against overwhelming odds. Military historians have noted that his decision to engage six adversarial aircraft in a single-engine Gnat, a lightweight fighter, represented not just courage but tactical audacity. His action is credited with preventing significant damage to the strategically vital Srinagar airfield during a critical phase of the war.

With the nation observing the second consecutive year of the marathon, the IAF's effort to institutionalise his memory through a mass public event signals a shift toward experiential remembrance — bringing war history off the memorial plaques and into the running shoes of ordinary citizens. As the marathon grows in scale and geography, it could become one of India's most visible tributes to a soldier who gave everything for the country.