Kathmandu Marathon, Sports Expo from October 4-6

Kathmandu, August 20

ProSports Pvt Ltd and Event Solution Pvt Ltd are jointly organising the 12th edition of Kathmandu Marathon and first-ever Sports Expo here at the Dasharath Stadium from October 4-6.

The annual Kathmandu Marathon features seven categories — marathon, half marathon, corporate marathon, 5km open, 5km veteran, 5km school and 3km wheelchair races, informed chief organiser Nilendra Raj Shrestha, who is also the Member of the Nepal Olympic Committee, at a press meet today. “We have added corporate marathon from this edition and this is a relay marathon where four athletes from one corporate team will compete,” Shrestha said. “We are hoping around 10,000 athletes will take part in this year’s Kathmandu Marathon,” he added. “We had started the event with the concept of city marathon in 2007 but we have a lot of works to do to materialise the dream,” he said.

Top three athletes in both men’s and women’s marathon will earn Rs 100,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively, while the top three in half marathon will receive Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.

Likewise, the winners of corporate marathon will get Rs 25,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively, while top three in 5km open category will earn Rs 15,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively. Similarly, the top three athletes in veteran, school and wheelchair categories will get Rs 10,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively.

Apart from the cash purse of Rs 722,000, another Rs 100,000 is up for grabs. “We have set aside the amount for an athlete who breaks the course record of two hours, 21 minutes and 24 seconds set by Bhumi Raj Rai in the 10th edition of the marathon,” said Shrestha.

The Sports Expo, which will be held over three days including the marathon day, will have sports products exhibition, seminar and workshops, business to business meeting, business to consumer meeting, fitness convention, motivational speech by well-known sports persons, water football and sports fashion among others.