Kathmandu, November 16

Suman Kulung Rai and Chhechee Sherpa won the titles of the seventh Everest Trail Race in Lukla on Wednesday.

Rai completed the 161-km race in 18 hours, 35 minutes and 54 seconds to win the men’s section race that featured six stages — Jiri to Bhandar (22km), Jase Bhanjyang (24km), Kharikhola (37km), Phakding (28km), Tyangboche (20km) and Lukla (30km).

Luis Alberto from Spain was second in 19 hours, 12 minutes and 49 seconds, while Norwegian Sondre Asmdahal finished third in 20 hours, 47 minutes and 31 seconds.

Sherpa won the women’s section title with the timing of 27 hours, 29 minutes and 50 seconds, while Portugal’s Ester Alves came second in 27:55:59 ahead of Sweden’s Elisabet Barnes (29:32:10).

A total of 41 athletes from 13 countries, including nine women, took part in the race that started from Dolakha on November 9, informed Kami Sherpa, Managing Director of Annapurna Treks Expedition Pvt Ltd. The race began at an altitude of 1,600m and went through Ramechhap district’s Bamti Bhandar, Solukhumbu district’s Pikey, Namche, Tengboche before ending in Lukla at an altitude of 4,070m.

Top three athletes in both the categories received Rs 150,000, Rs 100,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively. The annual event — which began in 2011 with an aim of preserving the route used by legendary mountaineers Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary to climbing the Mt Everest in 1950 — was jointly organised by Annapurna Treks Expedition Pvt Ltd and The Elements Pure Coconut Water.