On May 29, Manju Rawot and Dal Bahadur Kunwar, participated in the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon, one of the toughest marathons in the world, for the first time. But when the two sprinted ahead of the pack, no one could tell if this was the first time the two were running a high-altitude marathon in their career.
Leaving Jumla, Manju Rawot and Dal Bahadur Kunwar just wanted to have fun and compete in the famous race. But Kunwar finished second in the male category finishing the race in under four hours while Rawot finish first in the female category finishing the race in 5 hours and 25 minutes shocking everyone, even themselves.
So how did the two manage to perform so impressively in the marathon? The answer lies in their training, hard work and determination.
Strong roots
Manju Rawot and Dal Bahadur Kunwar are products of Karanali Sports Club, established by Hari Bahadur Rokaya, one of Nepal’s best marathon runners. This club has a notable track record of nurturing talented athletes like Sunmaya Budha, who has been participating in numerous races internationally and consistently securing podium finishes.
Here the two learnt pace, timing, diet and endurance. In addition, both of them acquired additional running skills, which developed their ability to compete against the country’s top athletes.
The guidance and training provided by their mentor Rokaya in the remote high-altitude regions of Karnali province gave them an advantage, which was evident during the Everest marathon.
Despite struggling with altitude sickness and fatigue, they two showed everyone what a positive mindset can do when it comes to running in the Himalayas.
“The training there is rigorous and we can’t thank the club enough,” says Kunwar.
At the club, they engage in two types of training sessions, six days a week from Monday to Saturday. One focuses on pacing while the other focuses on distance covering. During the pacing sessions, they would run 20 kilometres on the track, while the distance-covering sessions involved running on trails in the hills and forests.
“We run five hours every Saturday and get Sundays off,” says Rawot.
Born to run
Manju Rawot and Dal Bahadur Kunwar career trajectory, however, has been different. Rawot, 21, started running as early as 13, while Kunwar only started running a year ago.
Rawot caught people’s eyes after creating a national record in the President’s Running Sheild. Soon she was training under Rokaya. She trained with the club until she was in school after which she stopped to get a job and take care of her family.
“It is hard as a girl. Society talks a lot when we do what we love. They said that as a girl, I had to follow the norms of the society. I did not want my family to be disrespected so I started to look for jobs to help my family,” says Rawot.
But she knew she was made for running and after a hiatus of a few years, Rawot made a comeback last year at the Jumla Rara Ultra Marathon.
“Running is in my blood. Winning the ultra marathon made me believe in my ability once again,” she says.
Like Rawot, Kunwar, 22, was also born to run. Despite starting his running career just a year ago, Kunwar has already participated in and won several marathons. He achieved podium finishes in races like Jumla-Rara Ultra Marathon, Guerrilla Ultra Trail Race, Pokhara Fishtail Marathon, and many more.
Kunwar wanted to join the Nepal Army and even attempted the trials two years ago. While he successfully cleared all the physical tests with ease, unfortunately, he did not pass the written exam.
Disappointed in not being able to get into the Nepal Army, he also ran the Jumla Trail Marathon in July 2022 finishing second. That for him became a turning point as he has not looked back since.
“I ran for fun and came in second. I then wanted to test myself and joined the Karnali Sports Club,” says Kunwar.
Started from the bottom, aiming for the stars
Despite facing numerous challenges, the Manju Rawot and Dal Bahadur Kunwar from Karnali have achieved remarkable success, bringing pride to both Karnali province and their club, Karnali Sports Club. Their accomplishments stand as evidence that individuals can excel in sports and become leaders, even when hailing from underdeveloped regions with limited infrastructure and practice opportunities.
Rawot expresses gratitude to her family, acknowledging that without their support, she would not have reached this point in her athletic journey.
“They told me to do what I love. I am thankful to them,” she says.
Kunwar too feels that family support is integral to their success along with the role of the Karnali Sports Club.
“This is a team effort,” he says.
Now Manju Rawot and Dal Bahadur Kunwar want to take a leap out of Sunmaya’s book and compete in races abroad. They feel they are ready and given how they have been able to do so with limited exposure and resources, the two feel if they get the right kind of support, they can participate and even win these races.
“Our goal is the UTMB. If we continue to work hard, I believe we can do it and maybe one day win a major race and make Nepal proud,” says Rawot.
