PUMA India has launched ‘Meditation in Motion’, a campaign created ahead of the Ladakh Marathon, where the brand is the Exclusive Sportswear Partner. The campaign draws a parallel between two seemingly contrasting practices—meditation and running—through the shared values of focus, discipline and presence.
Shot at Thiksey Monastery, a 15th-century Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Leh, the campaign features 40 Buddhist monks in their traditional robes wearing PUMA NITRO Deviate PURE running shoes. The resulting imagery places an ancient spiritual practice against the backdrop of modern sports performance.
The campaign comprises six visual frames capturing the monks moving through the monastery and coming together against Ladakh’s landscape. At its centre is the PUMA Deviate PURE NITRO, a lightweight running shoe featuring NITROFOAM™ cushioning, engineered mesh and PUMAGRIP traction. The shoe’s flexible construction is positioned as a reflection of the campaign’s broader idea of movement, control and presence.
The campaign builds on PUMA India’s three-year association with the Ladakh Marathon, described as the world’s highest AIMS-certified marathon. The race takes place from September 10 to 13 and brings together the challenges of high altitude, demanding terrain and extreme conditions.
Commenting on the campaign, Ramprasad Sridharan, Managing Director, PUMA India, said, “As a sports brand, we have seen that movement and meditation may take different forms- but they can often lead to the same place: a state of complete focus and presence. Ladakh is an incredibly special race, and over our three-year association with the Ladakh Marathon, we have experienced first-hand the mental resolve it demands. As a sport brand heavily invested in growing the running ecosystem, we wanted to capture the less visible side of running — the mindset that takes over when the miles fall away and everything else fades out. ‘Meditation in Motion’ was born from this thought. Working closely with the Ladakh Marathon team and the Buddhist Monks of Leh, our team conceived and shot the campaign entirely in-house, resulting in one of the most evocative and meaningful pieces of work we have created at PUMA India.”
Chewang Motup Goba, Founder and Race Director, Ladakh Marathon, said: “Running in Ladakh teaches you that you cannot fight the mountain, you have to understand it and embrace it. The altitude, the cold, the wind, the terrain, they all become part of the experience. That is where the connection with meditation becomes so interesting. You learn to quiet the mind, stay present and keep moving, one step at a time. The Ladakh Marathon has always been about bracing yourself for the elements, but also learning to embrace them.”
As part of its partnership, PUMA India will provide runners with Race Day Tees across all race categories. Participants in the 122-kilometre Silk Route Ultra will also receive performance essentials suited to Ladakh’s high-altitude conditions, including jackets, arm sleeves, thermals, beanies and caps.
The Silk Route Ultra begins in the Nubra Valley at around 10,700 feet and climbs to Khardung La Pass at 17,618 feet, making it one of the most demanding events within the marathon programme.
