12th Nepalgunj Marathon to Be Held on November 28

NEPALGUNJ: The 12th edition of the Dhara Nepalgunj Marathon will be held in Nepalgunj on Saturday, November 28, featuring 12 race categories. Starting from BP Chowk, the event will include the 42-kilometer Men's Open Marathon, 21-kilometer Women's Open Half Marathon, 10-kilometer Men's Open and Women's Open races, 5-kilometer Men's Open and Women's Open races, 5-kilometer school-level boys' and girls' races, 3-kilometer Corporate Run, 3-kilometer Kids Run, 3-kilometer Wheelchair Run, 2-kilometer Family Run, and 3-kilometer Run for All. Women wishing to run the 42-kilometer Men's Open Marathon to record their individual times will also be provided with electronic timing chips. Similarly, male runners who wish to participate in the 21-kilometer Women's Open Half Marathon to improve their personal times will be provided with timing chips, Race Director Chandra Bahadur Gurung said. Age-group rankings will also be determined in the 42-kilometer race, he added. Runners in the 40–50, 50–60, and 60–70 age groups will be recognized with first, second, and third rankings to encourage their participation. The collaboration with Abbott World Marathon Majors to include age-group runners in global rankings will continue this year. The organizers will also facilitate participation in the Age Group World Championships. The organizers said top-performing runners in various categories will be given opportunities to participate in major marathons and World Athletics Platinum, Gold, Elite, and Label races. Online registration is already open, Registration Coordinator Gagan Thapa said. Interested participants can register through the Nepalgunj Marathon website. In June this year, the Nepalgunj Marathon received the AIMS Social Award in Tromsø, Norway, among races from around the world. The Nepalgunj Marathon has been held continuously since 2015. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, it helped select athletes for the Tokyo Olympics while complying with the Government of Nepal's health and safety protocols. The event was launched in 2015 to commemorate the Comprehensive Peace Accord signed on November 21, 2006 (Mangsir 5, 2063 BS), which formally ended the decade-long armed conflict in Nepal. The marathon was envisioned as an effective means of bringing together the people of Nepalgunj, a city home to diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural communities, through the values of peace, harmony, and unity. The Nepalgunj Marathon now has nearly a dozen affiliated events. The Gaughat Green Run and Raptisonari Nature Run have been held continuously for the past two years to raise awareness among schoolchildren about the challenges posed by climate change and encourage them to adopt climate adaptation measures. With the aim of helping people feel safer while moving around the city at night, two editions of the Nepalgunj 10K Night Run have also been organized. The Kathmandu 25K Heritage Race was launched last year to promote Nepal's heritage to the international community. The Karnali Half Marathon has also been introduced in Karnali Province. Recognizing the importance of dialogue and debate in a democracy, six editions of the Nepalgunj Conclave have been organized under the Nepalgunj Discourse series. Last year, the Nepal International Running Conference was held alongside an AIMS Board meeting, bringing together representatives from 18 countries. Beginning this year, Kohalpur Mile will also be introduced in Nepal under the One Global Mile initiative. Nepal Running Magazine has likewise continued its regular publication. Nepalgunj Marathon Founder T.S. Thakuri said he believed the prestigious international award was a recognition of the organization's sustained work across various initiatives and concepts. “We want to make running more accessible to society and establish it as a culture,” he said. “This international award will give us renewed energy and help put Nepal on the global map.”