Sufiya Khan, A Long-Distance Runner Who Is Achieving Milestones With Every Step Of Her

Sufiya Khan is a long-distance runner who holds several world records and is the first female runner to complete the journey from Manali to Leh. Sufiya began her ultra-marathon ‘Himalayan Ultra Run Expedition’ at 7.34 a.m. on September 25, 2021. She finished her marathon on October 1, 2021, travelling 480 kilometres in 156 hours in challenging terrain and harsh meteorological conditions, climbing up to 5328 metres in altitude and gaining 8200 metres in elevation.

She was born and raised in the city of Ajmer. She was raised by her single mother after her father died when she was 16 years old. Sufiya had never been a runner or a sports fan when she was younger. Sufiya earned a diploma in aviation after graduation and began working as a ground staff member at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Sufiya Khan had spent ten years as a ground handler at the Delhi airport. In 2019, she decided to leave her work in order to pursue her passion for running.

She began by running marathons and eventually ultramarathons. She claimed that running was an excellent way to see a new place while also spreading a message. She ran the Golden Triangle in 16 days in 2018, covering 720 kilometers between Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. The next year, she completed a 4,000-kilometer journey in 87 days, 2 hours, and 17 minutes from Srinagar, Kashmir, to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.
She holds two Guinness World Records. She entered the Guinness Book Of World Records for the first time in 2019 when she became the quickest female runner along “The Indian Golden Quadrilateral Road.” Her next effort entails a round-the-world run. She wants to run around the world and circumnavigate it.