Dhira Bahadur Buda and Sunmaya Buda emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively, at the inaugural Chhayanath Ultra Race organized in Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality. The ultra race was jointly organized by Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality and All Nepal Sports Foundation to promote adventure tourism and sports activities in the Himalayan region.
The 33-kilometre race began at 6:40 am from Kimri on Sunday and concluded at Pulu after passing through Chhayanath and Chitaikuna. A total of 58 runners, including 46 men and 12 women, participated in the competition.
Dhira Bahadur Buda Claims Men’s Title
In the men’s category, Dhira Bahadur Buda completed the demanding mountain trail in 3 hours, 57 minutes, and 25 seconds to secure first place.
Dal Bahadur Kunwar finished second with a time of 4 hours, 2 minutes, and 10 seconds, while Chandra Bahadur Rawat secured third place by completing the race in 4 hours and 5 minutes. Similarly, Arjun Kulung Rai and Ramesh Limbu finished fourth and fifth, respectively, recording times of 4 hours 24 minutes and 4 hours 30 minutes 10 seconds.
Sunmaya Buda Tops Women’s Category
In the women’s division, Sunmaya Buda won the title after completing the race in 5 hours, 25 minutes, and 50 seconds. Ram Maya Buda finished second with a time of 5 hours, 26 minutes, and 40 seconds, while Kalpana Buda secured third position by finishing in 5 hours, 35 minutes, and 20 seconds.
Samjeda Buda and Nirmala Rai placed fourth and fifth, respectively, completing the course in 5 hours 40 minutes 10 seconds and 5 hours 48 minutes.
Elite Athletes Add Excitement to Competition
According to organizers, the race featured participation from 23 international-standard athletes. The event included two elite runners, five intermediate-level competitors, nine advanced runners, and seven participants in the explorer category. Sanjay Adhikari of the All Nepal Sports Foundation said the presence of experienced and nationally recognized trail runners made the competition highly competitive and exciting.
Athletes who have previously performed strongly in renowned races, including the Everest Marathon, Manjushree Trail Race, Changunarayan Trail Run, Jumla-Rara Ultra, and Rara Trail Run, also participated in the event. Technical support for the competition was provided by the Nepal Adventure Running Federation.
Cash Prizes and Fun Run Also Announced
Alongside the main ultra race, organizers announced a five-kilometre local “Fun Run” scheduled for Monday morning to encourage broader community participation. Winners of the ultra race will receive cash prizes, medals, and certificates. Organizers said first-place winners in both men’s and women’s categories will receive Rs 200,000 each, while second-place finishers will receive Rs 150,000 and third-place winners Rs 100,000.
Similarly, fourth-place finishers will receive Rs 75,000 and fifth-place finishers Rs 50,000 each. For the local five-kilometre Fun Run, prizes of Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000, and Rs 10,000 have been announced for first, second, and third positions, respectively.
Promoting Religious and Adventure Tourism
Chairperson of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality, Chhiring Kyapne Lama, said the event was organized with the goal of promoting the Chhayanath region as an international destination for religious tourism and adventure sports.
He expressed confidence that such sporting events would help showcase the region’s local culture, natural beauty, and unique Himalayan lifestyle to national and international visitors. Chief Administrative Officer Subash Chandra Rawal also stated that the competition is expected to positively contribute to local tourism, hotel businesses, and economic activities in the region.
