Itanagar’s roads turned into a celebration on Sunday morning — and the finish line was just the beginning.
The Department of Tourism, Arunachal Pradesh, along with the Bicchu Gang Running Club, pulled off something worth talking about on World Tourism Day — a 10K mini marathon that brought over 300 young participants out into the capital’s streets, their feet doing the talking for a state that wants the world to sit up and take notice.
The race kicked off from the State Banquet Hall, flagged away by Itanagar Capital Deputy Commissioner Toko Babu, and wound its way through the city before finishing at Indira Gandhi Park. For many runners, this wasn’t just a race. It was a statement.
The turnout said something real about the energy sitting quietly in Itanagar. Three hundred-plus participants — young men and women from different age groups and fitness levels — didn’t need much convincing to lace up their shoes at the crack of dawn. That kind of enthusiasm doesn’t happen by accident.
On the men’s side, Toko Tab crossed the finish line first to claim gold, with Chanu Kamchang taking silver and Nabam Tojun picking up bronze. Bamang Kojum, who finished fourth, didn’t go home empty-handed either — he received passes for the prestigious Orange Festival. In the women’s category, Nedi Ngu took gold, Boron Binggap secured silver, and Yabang Tal earned the bronze, with Meena Ragyor rounding out the top four.
Cash prizes added some serious weight to the podium. First-place finishers in both categories walked away with Rs 10,000, second place earned Rs 7,000, and bronze medalists received Rs 4,000. Beyond the top three, medals were awarded to the first 100 finishers — a gesture that made sure a lot more people went home feeling like they’d won something.
DC Toko Babu had a message for the youth that went beyond running shoes and finish lines. He urged young people to not treat events like this as a once-in-a-while thing — running should be a daily habit, he said, not a seasonal one. He also spoke plainly about something that needs to be said more often in the Northeast: stay away from drugs and alcohol. Prioritise your health. Simple words, but in a region where that conversation matters enormously, they carried weight.
Director of Tourism Rujjum Rakshap made the department’s vision clear — Arunachal Pradesh isn’t just a place of stunning mountains and ancient cultures. It has the bones to become a serious destination for adventure and sports tourism, and events like the mini marathon are part of building that identity piece by piece. The idea is to get the youth involved early, connect their energy to tourism, and show the country — and beyond — what this state is capable of hosting.
There is something quietly powerful about the image of 300 people running together through the capital of one of India’s most breathtaking states on a day dedicated to celebrating the world’s connection to travel. It wasn’t just a fitness event. It was Arunachal Pradesh saying, come here, see what we’ve got, we’re ready.
If Sunday’s marathon is any indication, the state is just getting warmed up.
