Chandigarh: The Chandigarh administration on Thursday welcomed, Ultra Marathon Runner from Australia, Pat Farmer.

On his arrival, Pat Farmer and his team were welcomed with a garland and bouquet by Bhupesh Chaudhary, IAS, Director Sports, Chandigarh Administration, Bharti Tyagi, Principal, AIHM, along with officials of Tourism, Sports Department and students of AIHM and CIHM.

Pat Farmer was overwhelmed with the warmth and love of supporters who had gathered at the Chandigarh barrier.

After the welcome ceremony, Famer continued his run towards the city beautiful and was accompanied by the students of AIHM and CIHM to the U. T guest house.

Pat Farmer and his wife Tania Farmer also visited the Haryana Raj Bhawan and met Prof Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Punjab & Haryana and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh. Other senior officials present during the meet, were Anurag Agarwal, IAS, Home Secretary and Navjot Kaur, PCS, Director Public Relations, Chandigarh Administration.

The Chandigarh Administration had made various arrangements for the state visit of Farmer on his ‘Spirit of India Run’. Apart from the welcome ceremony, a cultural programme was organized at Tagore Theatre, wherein culture of the city was displayed by renowned artists; a media interaction was conducted at Hotel Mountview, which was followed by a formal dinner with the senior officials of the Chandigarh Administration and eminent sports personalities.

Farmer’s ‘Spirit of India Run’ is aimed at promoting relations between India and Australia; encourage tourism with a view to create awareness of India as a ‘Must Experience’ destination for travelers from Australia. The 4,600-km 'Spirit of India' run was flagged off from Kanyakumari on January 26 and would end in Srinagar on 30th March, 2016.