By Sachit Subba • Other Sports • Jan 10, 2026 12:19 PM • 174 views
Milan Kulung and American runner Sonia Martin took first place in the fourth series of the 3rd KVR Summit Challenge, leading the way on the tough trails of the Chandragiri hills.
Trailmandu Nepal organized Saturday's event, where athletes competed in either a 25km or 10km race along a scenic but challenging route outside the Kathmandu Valley.
In the main 25km race, Kulung finished first with a time of 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 24 seconds. Lokendra Rai, also from Nepal, came in second at 2:26:16. Diwakar Budhamagar placed third, finishing in 3:11:35.
Martin Doubles UP.
Among the women, Sonia Martin from the USA maintained her strong performance. After winning last month's third series, she won again on Saturday, finishing the 25km race in 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 9 seconds.ds.
Annie Mai Ban came in second with a time of 3:32:53. Sally Rebecca from the UK finished third in 4:04:33.
Tight Finish in the 10K
The 10km race had the closest finish of the day. In the men's event, Simon Dalcher from Switzerland just beat local favorite Prem Bahadur Sunuwar, finishing in 1:18:48, only five seconds ahead. Mingma Gyalzen Sherpa was third with 1:31:43. In the women's 10km, Mayuko Akutagawa from Japan won in 1:28:38. Eliana Maria Draper from the UK finished second in 1:57:15, and Erica Mix from the USA was third in 2:03:08.
The Course and Participation
The race started in Matatirtha, Machhegaun. The race began in Matatirtha, Machhegaun, and led runners on a challenging loop past the Chandragiri Cable Car Base Station, Chandragiri Temple, Dhapbhanjyang, Buddha Stupa, and Machhenarayan Temple, ending back in Machhegaun.0 runners, including 66 Nepali athletes and 24 international participants.
Prizes were distributed by Niraj Shrestha of the Nepal Olympic Committee, and Rajendra Tuladhar, Deputy Director of the Nepal Sports Science Institute (NSSI), presented them.
