🇳🇵 Nepali Trail Runners Make History in Vietnam With Double Gold and Silver
Nepal has made a major mark on the international trail-running scene after Nepali athletes dominated the Asia Trail Master Championship Final in Vietnam.
The fifth edition of the Asia Trail Master Championship Final was held on Saturday in Mù Cang Chải, Vietnam, featuring a demanding 75-kilometre trail course.
Nepal produced an outstanding result, winning both the men’s and women’s titles, while also taking second place in both categories.
🏆 Homlal Shrestha Becomes First Nepali Male ATM Champion- Nepali trail runners
Nepal’s Homlal Shrestha won the men’s and overall championship after completing the demanding course in 7 hours, 14 minutes and 17.9 seconds.
The 42-year-old became the first Nepali runner to win the Asia Trail Master Championship title.
Fellow Nepali runner Gopal Tamang finished second, completing the race around 15 minutes behind Homlal.
Homlal’s achievement is particularly impressive because he is primarily known as a road marathon runner and had never previously competed in a race longer than 70 kilometres at this level.
🥇 Sunsari Rokaya Wins Women’s Championship
Nepal’s success continued in the women’s category.
Sunsari Rokaya claimed the women’s championship, while 19-year-old Kalpana Budha finished second.
The two Nepali runners were separated by only seven seconds at the finish.
Sunsari completed the 75km course in 9 hours, 32 minutes and 25 seconds, while Kalpana finished in 9 hours, 32 minutes and 33.1 seconds.
Kalpana’s second-place finish also made her the youngest podium finisher in Asia Trail Master history.
Both Sunsari and Kalpana come from rural areas of Nepal, with Sunsari from Dolpa and Kalpana from Jumla.
🇳🇵 Nepal Dominates the Podium
The achievement was not limited to the four medal-winning runners.
Nepal sent nine trail runners to Vietnam, with several finishing among the leading competitors.
In the men’s race, Dhir Bahadur Budha finished eighth, while Bishal Rai finished tenth.
In the women’s race, Rajya Laxmi Rawal finished sixth.
The results underline the growing strength of Nepal’s trail-running community and the country’s ability to compete at the highest level of Asian trail running.
🌄 A Proud Moment for Nepal
Nepal is internationally known for its mountains, but its athletes are increasingly turning that natural advantage into sporting success.
The performance in Vietnam is a major achievement for Nepali trail running, with the country taking first and second place in both the men’s and women’s categories.
For Nepal, the result is more than four medals. It is another sign that Nepali athletes can compete internationally across sports beyond cricket and football.
NepalSportsTV will continue bringing you stories from Nepal’s athletes, teams and emerging sports across the country and around the world.