Nepalgunj Marathon Honored with Prestigious AIMS Award

June 16, Kathmandu – The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), a global running organization, has chosen Nepal’s Nepalgunj Marathon as the recipient of the ‘AIMS Social Award’ for this year. This is a highly prestigious honor selected from race organizers worldwide.

The award will be presented at the 25th AIMS World Congress scheduled from June 18 to 20 in Tromsø, Norway. TS Thakuri, founder of Nepalgunj Marathon, said that they received congratulations and notification from Martha Morales, chair of the selection committee and AIMS vice president.

Previous recipients of this award include the Great Ethiopian Run (Ethiopia) in 2013, Tokyo Marathon (Japan) in 2014, Marathon Internacional Lala (Mexico) in 2015, Munich Marathon (Germany) in 2016, Marathon de las Flores Medellín (Colombia) in 2017, Belgrade Marathon (Serbia) in 2018, and Harmony Geneva Marathon for UNICEF (Switzerland) in 2019. Vice President Morales noted that although the award was paused for a few years for various reasons, it will now be conferred continuously again.

In a letter to Nepalgunj Marathon founder Thakuri, Vice President Morales expressed, “We are very pleased to inform you that Nepalgunj Marathon has been selected as the recipient of this year’s prestigious AIMS Social Award.” She highlighted that this is a highly respected award in the global running community.

“This annual award recognizes outstanding marathons committed to sustainable development in sports,” Morales stated. “Through this award, your organization’s social initiatives and positive contributions to the community have been honored. AIMS aims to encourage other member organizations to adopt such excellent practices. We hope this accolade will further fuel your success. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement.”

The Nepalgunj Marathon has been held continuously since 2015. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nepalgunj Marathon played an important role in selecting athletes for the Tokyo Olympics while adhering to Nepal government protocols.

Initiated in 2015 in remembrance of the formal end of the long armed conflict marked by the peace agreement on December 20, 2006, Nepalgunj started the marathon as a means to promote peace, harmony, and unity in its multiethnic, multireligious, and multicultural community. The event has fostered around a dozen sister programs based on these principles.

In addition, the Gau Ghat Green Run and Rapti Sonari Nature Run have been held for two consecutive years, raising awareness about climate change among school children and encouraging adaptation measures.

To promote safe night-time running, Nepalgunj has organized two editions of the 10K Night Run. The Kathmandu 25 km Heritage Race, begun last year, aims to showcase Nepal’s heritage to the world. The Karnali Half Marathon is also being conducted in Karnali Province.

Respecting dialogue and debate as essential in democracy, Nepalgunj has successfully completed six editions of the “Nepalgunj Conclave” discourse series. Last year, the Nepal International Running Conference was held alongside the AIMS board meeting, with representatives from 18 countries participating. This year, the Kohalpur Mile in Nepal will be launched as part of the One Global Mile initiative.

The Nepal Running Magazine also continues regular publication. Founder TS Thakuri stated that the award was received after evaluating various ongoing initiatives of the Nepalgunj Marathon.

“We want to give running a social and cultural dimension,” he said. “This international recognition will energize us and help showcase Nepal on the world stage.”

Continuously active in Nepal’s running scene, TS Thakuri was appointed as AIMS’ official ambassador for Nepal last year.