Kathmandu, June 10 :

Yam Bahadur Pudasaini of Tribhuvan Army Club won the men’s half marathon with the timing of 1:15.41 in the Club Himalayan Up Hill Challenge-2006 on Saturday.

Pudasaini bettered the last year’s record of 1:18.13 set by Arjun Prashad Dhakal of 9(1:18.13) Armed Police Force Officers Club (APF). Dhakal, however, fininsed second with 1:15.54. Arjun Kumar Basnet of Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) finished third with 1:16.52.

Niramal Bharati of Nepal Police claimed the women’s half marathon championship. She crossed the finish line in 1:40.27 ahead of Krishneswori Sintakala of the APF who finished the race in 1:47.11. Hari Devi Rajlawat finished behind Rajlawat with the timing of 1:52.37.

Gagan Singh Budaier of the APF claimed the men’s 10-km race in 39 minutes and 05.80 seconds ahead of Prem Bahadur Mahat of the TAC (40 minutes, 20.60 sec). Lok Bahadur Rokaya of APF finished third. Kanchi Maya Koju of Nepal Police won the women’s 10-km race. She completed the course in

48 minutes and 16.10 seconds. Bishnu Kafle and Chhaya Khatri, both also of Nepal Police, came second and third respectively.

A total of 125 athletes including 15 women from Nepal, Japan, England and the US participated in the uphill challenge. The top three athletes from men and women’s half marathon got Rs 10,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively while the winners in the men’s and women’s 10-km race won a cash prize of Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively.

The attraction of the race was the 70-year-old Dr Khagendra Bahadur Shrestha who completed the 10-km race. The half marathon began from Bhaktapur Durbar Square and the10-km race from Telkot Bhanjyang. Both the race ended at the premises of Club Himalaya. The championship was jointly organised by Nepal Athletics Association and Club Himalaya, Nagarkot.