Manali, July 6 -- In a historic display of human endurance, India's ace trail runner, Shashwat Rao, has set an astonishing all-time mountain record on one of the country's most legendary alpine routes. Crossing the gruelling 4300m Hamta Pass--a treacherous, high-altitude crossover trail that typically takes trekkers four to five days to navigate.

Rao completed the entire 39 km journey from Chattru in Lahaul to Manali in a mind-boggling 5 hours and 10 minutes.

The record-shattering run took place during the inaugural edition of the Himalayan Xtreme Trail Running Fest 2026. Notably, the festival forms an official part of the prestigious Indian National League circuit and is fully certified by the International Trail Running Association (I...