Nepal’s first 100 mile trail race. The Manjushree trail race takes runners along the ridge line of the Kathmandu valley and across all 7 peaks surrounding the valley.

PHONE:          977 1 44223355

E-MAIL:           info@manjushreetrailrace.com

ADDRESS:      Kathmandu, Nepal

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Mission and Values

Our mission and core values

The Manjushree Trail Race is the result of a large collective of people that contributed at different times and in different ways to the creation and cultivation of the route and the organization of the race events. The Manjushree Trail Race is registered as a non-profit and run by a small independent team of people that all have played key roles in the establishment of this amazing race. You can find more information about the us and how the race came about on our website as well (www.manjushreetrailrace.com).

And yes, we are on a mission! Nepal is home to some of the world’s best ultra trail runners. The landscape and altitude makes it a perfect training ground for trail running. However, this has not resulted (yet) in Nepal having become a major hub for international trail runners to visit and train or compete in races. Likewise, Nepali athletes have still very limited opportunities in terms of connecting to sponsors, race teams and brands, which also means they have limited means and professional support (think of nutrition, coaching, strength training, etc.) to focus on their running career. Despite all these challenges, Nepalese athletes show time and again that they are ready to compete at the highest level, taking on the world’s best runners and finishing consistently on the podium when provided the opportunity.

We believe (and we are not just saying this, we really do!) that Nepal could be a regional (if not global) major destination for trail running. But for this, the world needs to see the amazing athletes the country has, and at the same time, more facilities and opportunities need to become available to Nepalese to train and compete. As such, our mission is as follows:

To organize races and running events that match international quality standards on the Kathmandu Valley Rim to:

  • Build and broaden the trail running community in- and around the valley, by making people aware of the amazing trails and nature that surround the capital and motivate them to explore and participate in events;
  • Create a safe- and inclusive space for all runners to participate and feel appreciated in, regardless of gender, race, caste, size, ability, pace and age, where runners can interact, support and build a social network and be appreciated. We cheer as loudly for the first runner as we do for the last runner!
  • Increase the profile of Nepal as a destination for professional- and recreational trail runners to visit and explore, train and compete, and through this, support job opportunities and income generation in Nepal’s emerging adventure tourism sector;
  • Support aspiring Nepali athletes to become professional athletes and understand how to train, prepare and compete in races in Nepal and abroad;
  • Increase opportunities for Nepalese runners to participate and compete in national and international trail running events and access sponsorships, including supporting other races and running events in Nepal to improve and collaborate;    

Safe space women and girls

Women and girls in Nepal continue to face barriers, for example in terms of being able to train when on your period, continue their running career after marriage and having children, being safe when going out alone on trails. You don’t have to take our word for it, they can tell you much better themselves. The Manjushree Trail Race and Trailmandu want to be a space where these barriers do not exist and be part of the change in attitudes and practices that is ongoing.

To all the women and girls that are on our trails, please be what you want, say what you want and wear what you want in our races. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to improve to be a better space for you to participate in, or if you experience or observe anything that we need to address or prevent.

To all the men and boys, we see you! Make sure you are a positive part of this, as so many of you already are. Here are a few simple things to do to make the event a good experience for all participants:

  • Don’t run closely behind a female runner (especially if you don’t know her), either overtake or stay a bit behind.
  • Feel absolutely free to talk to anyone, but make sure to not continue asking questions when a female runner is not giving answers or only responding with a few words.
  • If you see a female runner that looks uncomfortable with an interaction or looks distressed, ask if she is ok and if she needs help. If you are feeling uncomfortable to do this, call the number on your bib and update us with the situation and the runners bib number and alert us at the next checkpoint.
  • Tell us (call the number on the bib or at the next checkpoint) if you’ve seen something worrying on trial, especially during the night sections, like groups of men/people that are drinking.

Partnerships for Inclusion

We have a partnership with the T21 café since 2013, which is a café run by people with down syndrome. The T21 café checkpoint on the 2023 edition was one of the most popular checkpoints of runners coming through and so we are thrilled to have them back this year as one of our partners. In addition to this, we are also linking up with the Down Syndrome Society Nepal (DSSN) on organizing a 2 km ‘run for all’ run on April 6 from the race venue in Single Tree, where children and adults with disabilities and their caretakers can run together with anyone else that likes to join.

We also have teamed up with Duluwa Outdoors, which is an women-led initiative established to support women to explore the world beyond the boundaries of homes and social restrictions, meanwhile learn about themselves, their community and the world through outdoor adventure. The Duluwa team will be womanning one of the check points as well and is providing us with insights on how we can continue to increase inclusive access to our races.