Sufiya Suri, a multiple Guinness World Record holder, became the first female runner to cover the challenging 480km distance from Manali to Leh. Not only did she battle the low oxygen and high altitude terrain, but she also achieved the feat in less than 100 hours. Setting the record in August 2023, her Guinness World Record arrived much later. Yes, two years later in 2026.
The routine marathoner, hailing from Rajasthan, crossed all five high passes, which had a high altitude endurance of more than 8500 metres. Sharing in a post on Instagram, Suri wrote, ‘The Official Certificate decided to take the scenic route through delivery gateways and Indian Customs. Now it’s finally home.”
Her journey spanned across 4 days, 2 hours, and 27 minutes, which began on August 27. She succeeded in the historic effort on August 31 and became the fastest female runner with the record to her name.
Sufiya Suri’s run to Leh
One of the harshest running tracks in India, the 480 km challenger is the world’s highest motorable highway. It is also part of events like The Hell Race’s Great Himalayan Running Festival – ‘Hell Ultra’. With oxygen levels as low as 40 per cent, the route crosses high passes like Rohtang La (3978 m), Baralacha La (4890 m), Nakeela, Lachulung La, and Tanglang La at 5328 m.
Rated among the toughest, untrained runners might face altitude sickness, extreme cold, and hypoxia.
Who is Sufiya Suri?
Hailing from a humble background, Suri has been running marathons full-time since 2018. Gaining a sudden feat with her run through India’s Golden Triangle run, she ran from Delhi, through Agra and Jaipur. She covered the 1000 km stretch in 16 days, testing human limits everyday. Sufiya Suri earned her first Guinness World Record in 2019 after she ran from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 87 days, 2 hours, and 17 minutes.
Her second world record came in 2021 when she crossed the Golden Quadrilateral from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai in 110 days. Having run the Manali to Leh trek two times before, she even took her impressive feat across Qatar in 30 hours and became the fastest female runner to do so.