Colonel Shivani Sangwan Becomes First Armed Forces Woman Officer to Finish Silk Route Ultra Marathon in Ladakh

The Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) has congratulated Colonel Shivani Sangwan, a pathologist at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi, after she became the first woman officer of the Armed Forces to finish the Silk Route Ultra Marathon in Ladakh.

Colonel Sangwan completed the race in 21 hours, 44 minutes and 8 seconds at the event held from September 10 to 11, 2026. The ultra marathon, staged in Ladakh’s high-altitude terrain, involved an altitude gain of around 2,700 metres and demanded sustained physical effort over a prolonged period. Among female participants, she finished ninth.

Her result has been highlighted by the military medical establishment as more than a sporting achievement. The DGAFMS recognition points to the growing presence of women officers in physically demanding endurance and adventure events, alongside their regular professional responsibilities in military medicine and healthcare.

The Silk Route Ultra Marathon is regarded as a particularly tough test because of the combined strain of long-distance running and Ladakh’s altitude. Finishing such an event requires not only fitness but also mental resilience, pacing and the ability to cope with the stresses of thin air and difficult terrain. For an Armed Forces officer, the challenge also aligns with the broader military emphasis on endurance, perseverance and discipline.

Colonel Sangwan serves as a pathologist at Army Hospital (R&R), where medical officers support the health and operational readiness of serving personnel and their families. Her performance on the ultra-endurance circuit places her among those military medical professionals who combine specialist clinical duties with physically demanding pursuits outside the workplace.

The DGAFMS appreciation also reflects the value the Armed Forces attach to fitness and resilience beyond routine professional benchmarks. Participation in endurance and adventure events is seen as a way to test sustained concentration, determination and the ability to continue under prolonged physical stress.

In that context, Colonel Sangwan’s finish in 21 hours, 44 minutes and 8 seconds stands out as a demanding personal effort in one of India’s most challenging running environments. Her ninth-place finish among women adds to the significance of the result, while her distinction as the first woman officer from the Armed Forces to cross the line gives the achievement a wider institutional relevance.

Her performance in Ladakh comes against the backdrop of a wider shift within the Armed Forces, where professional excellence is increasingly accompanied by participation in high-endurance sporting and adventure activities. Such accomplishments, the DGAFMS said through its congratulatory note, reflect resilience, courage and the pursuit of excellence associated with military service.

By completing the Silk Route Ultra Marathon, Colonel Shivani Sangwan has added a notable milestone to the record of women officers and military personnel taking part in endurance events across the country, while also drawing attention to the expanding visibility of women in the Armed Forces beyond their conventional professional roles.