Article detail

Nepalgunj:
The Dhara Nepalgunj Marathon, which has successfully completed a decade-long journey, has entered into a partnership with one of Malaysia’s top marathons — the SCORE Marathon — to promote international collaboration in running events.

According to Race Director Chandra Bahadur Gurung, the collaboration agreement was signed between SCORE Sports Management, which organizes running events in Malaysia and Singapore, and the Dhara Nepalgunj Marathon to foster friendship, cultural exchange, and professional expertise sharing between the two organizations.

The agreement was signed by Patricia Tan, founder and CEO of SCORE Sports Management, and T.S. Thakuri, founder and president of the Dhara Nepalgunj Marathon. Initially, the agreement has been made for five years, with a mutual understanding to extend it with necessary revisions in the future.

Thakuri, who also serves as the country representative of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) in Nepal, said that the partnership will open opportunities for Nepali runners, officials, and volunteers to gain world-class exposure and experience.

“The SCORE Marathon is one of Malaysia’s top three marathons, recognized as a World-Class Road Race, attracting over 40,000 participants each year,” said Thakuri.
“This collaboration will allow Nepali participants to learn from international standards and help us produce skilled human resources for Nepal’s marathon and sports development.”

The agreement is also expected to help promote Nepali running events internationally and attract more sports tourists to Nepal. Under the collaboration, runners, officials, and volunteers recommended by the Nepalgunj Marathon will receive registration and hospitality privileges to participate in the SCORE Marathon series in Malaysia and Singapore — and vice versa.

The Dhara Nepalgunj Marathon, which has been running continuously for eleven years, has several sister events, including the Nepalgunj 10 Night Run, Gaughat Green Run, Rapti Sonari Nature Run, Karnali Half Marathon, and Kathmandu 25K Heritage Race.

Additionally, the marathon also initiated the Nepal International Running Conference last year, with plans to host its second edition alongside the Kathmandu 25K Heritage Race on May 1 next year.

Event Coordinator Kapil Thapa shared that the postponed Nepalgunj 10 Night Run, which could not take place earlier due to unrest in the region, will be rescheduled after the upcoming Dhara Nepalgunj Marathon on Mangsir 6 (November 21).

SCORE Marathon CEO Patricia Tan expressed her excitement about the partnership, stating:

“The collaboration between the SCORE Marathon series (Malaysia–Singapore) and the Nepalgunj Marathon series (Nepalgunj–Kathmandu) will strengthen ties between two organizers, two cities, and two nations. We look forward to welcoming Nepali runners with open arms.”

Previously, the Dhara Nepalgunj Marathon also signed similar cooperation agreements with Thailand’s world-class Bangsaen Marathon series — including Bangsaen42, Bangsaen10, and the Platinum Level Bangsaen21 — further establishing Nepalgunj as a growing hub for international marathon relations.