By Sachit Subba • Other Sports • Jul 02, 2026 12:33 PM • 76 views
KATHMANDU — The countdown to Nepal’s ultimate endurance test has officially begun. With 100 days to go before the starter's pistol fires at Dasharath Stadium on October 10, 2026 (Ashoj 24, 2083), the 18th Siddhartha Bank Kathmandu Marathon is heading toward a major moment for East Asian athletics. Driven by rising domestic interest and a growing international profile, organisers, NRS Sports Foundation, are preparing for a historic field of roughly 10,000 competitors.
The blistering pace of early registration points to a record-setting year. A recent 24-hour "Early Bird" window saw 2,500 runners immediately lock in their places across the premium distances. The most significant storyline of this early rush is the surge in women’s participation: 25 Nepali women have already entered the gruelling 42.195-kilometre full marathon. This early milestone signals growing athletic confidence and broader grassroots participation.
A Distance for Every Discipline
The event's structural design underscores a commitment to mass participation and inclusivity, ensuring that elite athletes share the pavement with weekend warriors and the next generation of running talent. The competitive matrix spans five core divisions, ensuring wide structural accessibility:
- Full Marathon (42.195 km): Open and Masters brackets (catering to veterans across 40+, 50+, and 60+ demographics).
- Half Marathon (21 km): Open and Masters brackets (40+ and 50+ age categories).
- 10 Kilometres: Dedicated Open and Masters divisions.
- 5 Kilometres: Tailored for Open and College-level prospects.
- 3 Kilometres: A multi-tier category for Open, School, and Family rosters.
A notable addition this year is the reimagined 3-kilometre "Family Run". Requiring teams of three or more relatives—spanning parents to children—to finish together, the initiative links the event with public health efforts and a shared community experience.
Going Global: The City-Wide Movement
What began in 2007 as a local road race has become an international event. Already, 120 elite and amateur overseas runners from countries including India, Norway, the United Kingdom, Poland, Sri Lanka, the United States, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Japan, and France have entered. With additional inquiries continuing to reach NRS headquarters, the field is expected to be the most diverse in the event's history.
This year's theme, built around "Build Healthy Lifestyle," signals a shift from a single-day race to a city-wide fitness effort. NRS Sports Foundation has brought the marathon to the community through activation campaigns at local schools and collegiate institutions, as well as joint sessions with regional running clubs.
This comprehensive outreach has triggered a wave of institutional backing. Municipal bodies, local ward councils, and neighbourhood organisations are actively coordinating logistics to ensure a seamless urban route. With strict field caps in place to ensure athlete safety and elite timing standards, organisers have issued a final advisory for prospective runners to register immediately before the field closes.
