WINGS ON THEIR HEELS: THE DAY OF THE FLEET-FOOTED IN THE HILLS

TT: The Amway Darjeeling Police Marathon organised by Darjeeling police in association with The Telegraph on Saturday drew over 3,500 participants, around 1,000 more than that in the previous year. The participants included runners not just from India but also from Kenya, Ethiopia and England. The 21km marathon was flagged off at 8.30am from Sukhiapokhri by Jinson Johnson, gold medallist in the 1,500m category at the 2018 Asian Games, along with Darjeeling IG Manoj Verma and superintendent of police Akhilesh Chaturvedi.

"This year, the marathon attracted a lot many runners from abroad," said Chaturvedi, adding that "next year, we will make the marathon bigger".

Noah Kemei, 30, and Christine Kambua Muyana, 27, both from Kenya, won gold in the male and female categories, respectively.

Hundreds lined up along Darjeeling town's streets to cheer for the runners. Artistes performed at Chowrasta in front of a large crowd. Popular Nepali actress Swastima Khadka was also present. Pictures by Passang Yolmo, reporting by Vivek Chhetri SEE METRO `'The atmosphere was great, though I had problems with the cold and the terrain. During the last uphill stretch I thought of my training in hilly areas of Kenya and this helped me to push forward.