By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 18: The global governing body for road running, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), has announced that Nepal’s Nepalgunj Marathon will receive this year’s AIMS Social Award.
The honour, regarded as one of the most prestigious in the sport, is selected from race organisers worldwide.
The award will be presented at the 25th AIMS World Congress in Tromsø, Norway, from 18–20 June.
TS Thakuri, founder of the Nepalgunj Marathon, said he had received confirmation and congratulations from Martha Morales, selection committee coordinator and AIMS vice‑president.
Previous recipients include the Great Ethiopian Run (2013), the Tokyo Marathon (2014), the Marathon Internacional Lala, Mexico (2015), the Munich Marathon (2016), the Marathon de las Flores Medellín, Colombia (2017), the Belgrade Marathon (2018) and the Harmony Geneva Marathon for UNICEF, Switzerland (2019).
Vice‑President Morales noted that the award, suspended for several years, will now be presented annually.
In a letter to Thakuri, Morales wrote: “We are very pleased to inform you that the Nepalgunj Marathon has been selected as the recipient of this year’s prestigious AIMS Social Award.” She described it as a highly respected accolade in the world of running.
She added: “Each year, it is given to outstanding marathons that demonstrate excellent practice in organisation and show strong commitment to the sustainable development of sport.
“This special award recognises the social initiatives and positive actions that you and your organisation have undertaken in society. AIMS also aims to encourage other member organisations to adopt such best practices.”
“We hope this achievement will inspire you to even greater success. Congratulations on receiving this prestigious award.”
The Nepalgunj Marathon, launched in 2015, has been held annually without interruption.
It has also staged two editions of the Nepalgunj 10k Night Run. Last year, the Kathmandu 25km Heritage Race was introduced to promote Nepal’s cultural heritage internationally.
In addition, the Karnali Half Marathon has been established in Karnali Province, the organisers said in a press note.
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