Khadka Bahadur Khadka Aims to Break Baikuntha Manandhar’s 39-Year-Old Marathon Record

Renowned Nepalese runner Baikuntha Manandhar set a marathon record 39 years ago that remains unbroken to this day. In 1987, at an event in Kolkata, India, Manandhar completed the marathon in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 3 seconds, winning the gold medal and establishing a South Asian record. His historic achievement is celebrated as one of the greatest milestones in Nepalese sports history, earning him the status of one of the nation’s greatest star athletes. According to Manandhar, “Let it be a Nepalese athlete, not a foreign competitor, who breaks this record.”

At the recently held 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, marathon runner Khadkan Bahadur Khadka represented Nepal, positioning himself as a serious contender to surpass this record. Khadka completed the 11th Nepalgunj Marathon last year with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 6 seconds—just 3 seconds shy of Baikuntha Manandhar’s record. Currently undergoing closed training for the Asian Games, Khadka stated, “This is my biggest goal right now.”

Born in Shedagad Municipality-6 in Jajarkot, Khadka began his marathon journey after joining the Nepal Army. In 2020, he first participated in the Army’s COS Run, marking his entry into marathon running. He won silver medals in the Chief of Army Staff races consecutively in 2021 and 2022. In 2024, Khadka won the Chief of Army Staff Cup, improving his personal best to 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 20 seconds. His performance at the 2025 Nepalgunj Marathon further improved his timing, bringing him dangerously close to breaking Baikuntha Manandhar’s record.

The Nepalgunj Marathon route is regarded as the easiest in Nepal, featuring a straightforward course with only one turn. As an internationally recognized course, the records set here are officially acknowledged. After his near-record performance in Nepalgunj, Khadka received congratulations through social media from Baikuntha Manandhar himself. Khadka shared, “Baikuntha sir congratulated me and wished me success in surpassing the record. That has been a great inspiration for me.”