Kathmandu, February 18

Tribhuvan Army Club’s Hari Kumar Rimal and Nepal APF Club’s Kanchhi Maya Koju won the seventh Kantipur Hero Half Marathon here today.

Rimal won the men’s category gold medal after completing 21.0975km distance in one hour, six minutes and 41 seconds. He also eclipsed the national record of 1.07.12 set by Khimi Giri during the World Half Marathon in Brussels in 2002. But Race Director and vice-president of Nepal Athletics Association Sushil Narshing Rana said the record would be officials only after the certification of the course.

Indian Army duo Anish Thapa Magar (1:06:43) and Tirtha Kumar Pun (1:07:19) finished second and third respectively. Defending champion Gopi Chand Parki was fourth in 1:08:04.

In women’s category, Koju clocked one hour, 19 minutes and 22 seconds to finish first, while TAC’s Bishworupa Budha was four seconds behind to finish second and her teammate Sanu Karki came third in 1:22:57. The winners in both the categories received Rs 50,000 and a scooter each, while runners-up and third place finishers got Rs 30,000 and 20,000 respectively. Rimal received an additional Rs 25,000 for breaking the national record.

In three-km wheelchair race, Ram Bahadur Gurung, Prem BK and Bharat BC claimed top three positions respectively in the men’s category, while Lali Tamang, Yami Jhakri Magar and Rajni Rai did so in women’s section. Top three athletes got Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively.

Bhupendra Batala of Classroom won the 5km Corporate and Media race, while Uttam Shrestha of Theater Mall and Santosh Paudel of Youth Journalists International came second and third respectively. In the women’s section, Santoshi Shrestha of Theater Mall, Nirmala Maharjan of Oyster Spa and Fitness Centre and Laden Pradhan of Civil Bank claimed top three positions.