IAF holds marathon in honour of 1971 War hero

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday held a marathon across 46 air bases nationwide to commemorate the late Flight Lt Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest wartime gallantry award.

Flight Lt Sekhon, a fighter pilot posted in Srinagar during the 1971 war with Pakistan, was martyred in a dogfight with enemy aircraft.

According to the Ministry of Defence, this was the first-ever ‘Sekhon Indian Air Force Marathon 2025’, organised simultaneously across air bases, with nearly 45,000 participants. The marathon featured three categories — 21 km, 10 km and 5 km.

In New Delhi, around 12,000 runners took part, including men, women and children of all ages. IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh participated in the 21-km run, inspiring air warriors and civilians alike. The event was also attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, the IAF Chief and other senior officers.

The marathon began on a high-energy note with a Zumba warm-up session, followed by spirited performances by the IAF band, a synchronised display by the air warrior drill team and a skydiving demonstration.

Actors Huma Qureshi, Shefali Shah, Archana Puran Singh and Sunil Grover joined the event. The occasion also saw the unveiling of the teaser for ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ — an upcoming Netflix series depicting the courage, resilience and bravery of the Indian Air Force during the Kargil War.