Key Takeaways:

• Binod Rokaya and Nisha Sarki won the men's and women's 21km half-marathon titles
• The event attracted 4,106 participants from Nepal and nine other countries
• Winners of the half-marathon categories received Rs150,000 each, with total prize money of Rs1.6 million distributed
• The annual event promotes awareness of accessible and quality protein sources under the campaign 'Run for a Healthy Nepal

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 20 Binod Rokaya and Nisha Sarki claimed the men's and women's half-marathon titles at the fifth Right to Protein Pokhara Run held on Saturday. Organised by the Nepal Feed Industries Association, the event attracted 4,106 participants from Nepal and nine other countries, making it one of the largest mass-participation running events in the country. Rokaya won the 21km open men's race in 1 hour 7 minutes 20 seconds. Sushil Kumar Shahi finished second in 1:08:05, while the third-place finisher clocked 1:08:14. Narendra Singh Rawal and Sanjay Shrestha completed the top five.

In the women's half-marathon, Sarki crossed the finish line in 1:21:47 to secure first place. Nirmala KC finished second in 1:24:00, followed by Ashma B.K. in 1:27:50. Rayalaxmi Rawal and Deepa Basnet rounded out the top five. In the 10km open men's race, Rupesh Karki emerged victorious with a time of 31:34.60. Umesh Thapa finished second in 32:06.08, while Dhiraj Limbu secured third place in 32:28.42. The 5km open women's race was won by Saraswati Bhattarai in 20:35.12, ahead of Sapana Pariyar (25:30.01) and Janaki Rana (26:33.11). The winners of both half-marathon categories received Rs150,000 each, while runners-up received Rs100,000, third-place finishers Rs50,000, fourth-place finishers Rs30,000, and fifth-place finishers Rs25,000. A total of Rs1.6 million was distributed among athletes across all categories. Held under the campaign 'Run for a Healthy Nepal,' the Right to Protein Run has been organised since 2019 to raise awareness about affordable and nutritious protein sources, including eggs, meat, fish, milk, soy, tofu, paneer, pulses and legumes.