KATHMANDU, Aug 31: Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon on Thursday felicitated Mr Bhim Bahadur Gurung, the winner of 2015 Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon and runner-up of the 2014 and 2016 edition of Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon.
Shikhar Pandey, event manager of the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon, presented a letter of felicitation to Gurung and also inducted him to Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon Hall of Fame. He also provided a cash prize of USD 1,000 to support Gurung’s participation in upcoming Salomon Glen Coe Skyline race – a part of Migu Run Skyruner World Series 2017 – to be held in Scotland on September 17.
Born at Pokhari in Arughat Municipality of Gorkha in 1981, Gurung started participating in long-distance running events from 2009. The Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) athlete has won numerous long distance marathons at both home and abroad.
Gurung started participating in the prestigious Migu Run Skyrunner World Series from 2016. Of the three World Series events that Gurung participated in 2016, he won two – 29-kilometer Yading Skyrun held in China and 52-kilometer TROFEO KIMA 2016 held in Italy.
Former athlete Rokaya to be felicitated
Similarly, of the four Migu Run Skyrunner World Series events that Gurung participated in 2017 so far, Gurung has won three events – Yading, Grand Paradiso and Tromso. In the fourth race, Livigno, Gurung finished 15th after he lost the race track. Gurung currently tops the Extreme category of the Migu Run Skyruner World Series 2017 with 205.6 points. He finished the Yading Grand Paradiso and TROFEO KIMA events with record timings.
He is leaving for Scotland on September 10 to participate in another Migu Run Skyrunner World Series event, Salomon Glen Coe Skyline, to be held in Scotland on September 17.
Similarly, Gurung was also a part of four-member Nepali team that won three editions of the prestigious Hong Kong Oxfam Trailwalkers – a 100-kilometer run – in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The long-distance runner has participated in long-distance running events in Nepal, China, Switzerland, Italy, France, Norway, North Pole and Hong Kong.
“Foreign athletes always respect us. They often joke that there is no chance of winning the race when Nepali athletes are participating. It is always good to get such respect,” he said, adding: “I am happy to have been able to make my institution – Nepal Army – and my country proud.”
The untiring runner is happily married and proud father of two sons. He has won eight gold medals and two silver medals in international long-distance running events. I have won more than two dozen gold medals in events organized in Nepal, he adds.
Shikhar Pandey, event manager of Everest Marathon, said the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon was proud to have been able to honor such an exemplary athlete. “We know what Mr Bhim Gurung has been able to achieve in the international arena after winning the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon. We are very much product to induct him in Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon – Hall of Fame,” he added. “I believe our financial assistance will help Mr Gurung to participate in more World Series event in the coming days.”
