Hong Kong, Tai Mo Shan Rotary Park. 18th January 2014.
Nepal placed 1st and 2nd beating an international field in the 4th Vibram® Hong Kong 100 trail running race held on Saturday 18th January.
Tirtha Tamang and Bed Sunuwar of the Nepali Army Team took first and second place in the grueling 100km long Vibram Hong Kong 100 race on Saturday. Tamang ran a tactically perfect race and finished in 10:01:53 just 7 minutes outside the course record. Ram Bhandari also of the Nepali Army Team finished 17 minutes and 30 seconds back in 10:19:35.
This race was the first in the new Ultra-Trail World Tour, a string of international races of 100km or longer through out the year culminating in world ranking at the end of the year.
Tamang was thus the first placed in the first race of the first series, leaving Nepal’s mark in an important part in the history of the world’s most rapidly growing sport.
The challenging 100km course contained over 4,500m of climb and descent. It is notorious for its mix of flat road sections and steep hill climbs, with views across Hong Kong’s skyscraper filled bays. Over 1600 runners started the course at 8am and most will run through the night to complete it.
Ram Kumar Khatri and Ram Bhandari trained with Ramesh Bhattachan in Pokhara. Tirtha Tamang and Bed Sunuwar were supported by Hong Kong Nepali Trail Runners Association.
Ram Kumar Khatri was forced to drop out at 54km after twisting his ankle in the early stages.
Nepal took 2nd and 3rd places in 2012 with Aite Tamang and Bed Sunuwar and in 2013, Ram Kumar Khatri claimed 3rd position.
Nepali runners have shown great promise in the past couple of years, but today’s performance in a world-class field has made their ability clear internationally.
- 1st Tirtha Tamang 10.02.04 – Team Nepal
- 2nd Bed Sunuwar 10.06.37 – Team Nepal
- 3rd Vlad Ixel 10.11.53 – Australia
- 4th Vajin Armstrong – 10:18:29 – New Zealand
- 5th Scott Hawker – 10:18:56 – New Zealand
- 6th Ram Bhandari – 10:19:35 – Nepal
Athreya says:
Congratulations to all three runners. Super running!
Kumar Tamang says:
Frankly, the news report is trying to hide something true and exposing non necessary things into mass. Everybody knows cyrstal clear 1st Tirtha and 2nd Bed represent “Team Nepal” are from Nepal army but there is no single word about Team Nepal although news reporter Richard Bull knew everything, it’s really sad.
admin says:
Thanks for your comment. Trail running is not really a sport with teams, with Trailwalker as an exception as a team race. You will see I treated all six runners mentioned the same by giving their country name. I can add Team Nepal, but people will ask “What is Team Nepal and why were all four runners not members of the same team?” Please can you write a reply here explaining what Team Nepal is please or ask Subarna to reply to my FB message from some time back asking the same? Thanks.