KATHMANDU: Athlete Kiran Singh Bogati today won the gold medal for Nepal in 42.2-kilometre Marathon race under the 13th South Asian Games being held in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur.

Athlete Bogati completed the race in 2 hours, 21 minutes and 17 seconds.

With the addition of the medal, the gold count for Nepal reaches 42 trailing behind India. India stands at the top with 93 gold medals.

The race track started from Dasharath Stadium at around 7:00 am and ran through Kalanki, Satdobato, Koteshwar, Suryabinayak, Koteshwar, New Baneshwar, Mandala, Bhadrakali, Bhadrakali, Shahidgate, Lainchaur, Narayanhiti Palace (northern gate) Jaya Nepal Hall, Durbar Marg, Bhadrakali, Shahidgate and back to the stadium.

This is the 6th time Nepal acquired gold in the SAG marathon race. In 1995, athlete Tika Bogati bagged gold for Nepal in SAG Marathon.

Baikuntha Manandhar is the athlete who had completed the marathon in the least 2 hours, 15 minutes and 3 seconds in 1987.

Another Nepali athlete Rajendra Singh Bhandari had to give up the gold after controversial doping test in 2010 SAG marathon held in Bangladesh capital city Dhaka.

It has been reported that Pushpa Bhandari has bagged the silver medal in women's marathon. She completed the race in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 11 seconds. Bhandari has become the first athlete to acquire the medal in the women's marathon.