Khadka and Santoshi champions at 10th Dhara Nepalgunj Marathon

Khadka clocked 2 hours 17 minutes 48 seconds to complete the 42.195 km distance. Khadka’s clubmates Rajan Rokaya and Sushil Kumar Shahi secured second and third positions respectively. Rokaya clocked 2:17:53 and Shahi took 2:21:45 to finish the distance. The top three finishers walked away with prizes of NPR 200,000 (1,457 USD), NPR 100,000 and NPR 50,000.

Winner Khadka and the runner up Rokaya also set a new course record at the marathon surpassing the previous best timing of 2:20:28 . The marathon organised by Creative Hands started from the gate of Nepalgunj Sub Metropolitan City and finished at the same point going through Kohalpur Municipality – Baniyabhar before turning back.

Khadka, who had finished eighth during his first attempt at the Nepalgunj at the first edition of the Nepalgunj marathon, said that he was delighted to secure the title for the second time. He had claimed the maiden Nepalgunj title in 2022.

Santosh Bikram Shahi secured fourth position while Rudra Budathoki finished fifth, Manakaran KC sixth, Nirmal Kunwar seventh, Khem Bahadur Shahi eighth, Bharat Kumar Shrestha ninth Mangal Tamang tenth places respectively. They all had their share of cash prizes.

Santoshi Shrestha, the winner of the women’s half marathon, took 1 hour 17 minutes 30 seconds to finish the half marathon. Pushpa Bhandari (1:19:12) and Bimala Karki (1:49:15) secured silver and bronze medals. The top three finishers in the women’s half marathon earned purses of NPR 75,000 (545 USD), NPR 50,000 and NPR 25,000 respectively.

Along with the men’s marathon and women’s half marathon, the event also featured school level 5km races for boys and girls, 5 km corporate run, 5km tricycle and 5km walkathon events and 500m kids run among others.

In the school boys event (outside Banke district) Bikash BK, Ajay Pandey Chhetri, and Ramesh Budha finished first, second and third respectively. In the school boys race for Banke district, Arbind Yadav, Amrit Shahi and Bijay Khadka earned top three spots respectively.

The kids 500m run for boys saw Rajan Tharu, Narayan Saud and Arun Khatik finish in top three positions respectively. In the kids 500m run for girls, Minakshi Saud, Pujan Birat and Anjali Sejuwal came in the top three positions respectively.

The corporate 5km race saw Yogesh Malla, Dr. RK Lamichhane and Madhu Sunar earn first, second and third spots respectively. Rajesh Harijan and Mina Kumari Nepali secured first and second positions respectively in the tricycle.

The Nepalgunj Marathon started to commemorate the comprehensive peace accord between the Government of Nepal and rebel Maoist on November 21, 2006, according to the marathon founder TS Thakuri.

Meanwhile, the event organizer Creative Hands also feted the individuals and the organisation that have been supporting the event since its inception with ‘Dasak Ratna Samman’.

According to Creative Hands’ president TS Thakuri, KL Dugar Group CEO Pradeep Chhajer, Angel’s School principal Bina Malla, Bright Land College principal Vijay Lama, Kantipur Television CEO Shishir Pachhai, Race Director Chandra Gurung, Nepalgunj Sub Metropolitan, Kohalpur Municipality, PABSON Banke and Dainik Nepalgunj editor Jhalak Gaire were feted during the closing ceremony. Meanwhile, senior actor Madan Krishna Shrestha was also given a civic felicitation and letter of appreciation.