Army Doctor Defies ‘Death Zone’ To Win World’s Highest 70-km Ultra Marathon in Ladakh

An Indian Army doctor has won the world’s highest ultra marathon, surviving brutal alpine conditions near the border to claim a stunning athletic victory.

Major Deepak Kumar, a medical officer with the 153 General Hospital, took first place in the grueling 70 km category of the Ladakh Umlingla Challenge. He completed the punishing course at 19,024 feet above sea level. Captain Sivaguru Vellasamy S of the Ladakh Scouts also crossed the finish line in the same elite category.


The Indian Army’s Fire and Fury Corps confirmed the victories, praising the officers' exceptional grit and physical robustness in one of the most demanding environments on Earth.

Military and sports analysts are calling the achievement a massive feat of human endurance. At 19,024 feet—higher than Everest Base Camp—the air holds only half the oxygen found at sea level. Running 70 kilometers under these conditions pushes the human heart and lungs to their absolute limits.

Major Kumar’s victory is particularly surprising because of his role. While Captain Vellasamy is a member of the "Snow Warriors" infantry who live and train in these mountains, Major Kumar belongs to the Medical Corps, proving that the army's doctors possess the same elite stamina as frontline combat troops.

The two officers had to maintain a relentless pace to beat a strict 14-hour cutoff time. The high-altitude course subjected the runners to freezing mountain winds and sudden temperature drops along the barren mountain pass.

Organized by the Sarmang Society under their "Summit or Surrender" race series, the event is capped at fewer than 100 elite runners due to the extreme medical risks involved. With their finishes, Major Kumar and Captain Vellasamy join a rare group of high-altitude pioneers, including record-holders Anurag Saini and Susmita Jha.