Kenyan runner Wilson Cheriyuit has set a record of 2 hours 17 minutes 24 seconds in Pokhara Marathon. He set a new record in the 19th successful Pokhara Marathon on Saturday. Earlier, another Kenyan runner, Julius Muriali Wahome, held the record of 2 hours, 19 minutes and 36 seconds. Julius was second this time.
Kenyan runners dominated the marathon. Last year's winner Julius was 2 seconds behind. Another Kenyan runner, Onesmus Gitau Jorog, finished third in 2 hours 18 minutes 21 seconds.
champion Wilson received Rs 5 lakh, Julius Rs 3 lakh and Onesmus Rs 2 lakh. Nepali runner Kiran Singh Bogti finished fourth, Niroj Bhatt Chhetri fifth, Rikhulal Magar sixth, Dinesh Singh Bogti seventh and Kenyan runner Michael Mathia finished eighth. They received 50,000, 20,000, 15,000 and 10,000 respectively.
Niroj Bhatt became the first in the marathon towards Gandaki. He clocked 2 hours 38 minutes 22 seconds. Rikhulal second, Dinesh Singh third, Meenrashi Bik fourth, Ashok Baram fifth. They got 50, 30, 20, 15 and 8 thousand respectively.
In men's 21 km half marathon, Kenyan runner John Bansara finished first with 1 hour 9 minutes 7 seconds, Nepali runner Santosh Vikram Bista finished second with 1 hour 9 minutes 56 seconds, Gajendra Rai finished third with 1 hour 10 minutes 2 seconds. They received Rs.75,000, Rs.50,000 and Rs.30,000 respectively.
In the women's half marathon, Olympian Santoshi Shrestha became the champion with a time of 1 hour 20 minutes 3 seconds. It is his second consecutive win in Pokhara Marathon. Kenyan runner Swaron Zonotik was second in 1 hour 21 minutes 7 seconds while Pushpa Bhandari was third in 1 hour 23 minutes 8 seconds. Asma Bik finished fourth and Drupata Kathayat finished fifth. They got 1 lakh 50 thousand, 1 lakh, 75 thousand, 15 thousand and 5 thousand respectively.
Shubham Lamichhane, Rajendra Tamang and Badal Karki won the men's 10 km race and Sumitra Kumari Chaudhary, Asha Rawat and Narayani Bhandari won the top three positions in the women's category. 5 km Sugan Lamichhane, Sujan Nepali and Ishwar Dhakal in male category and Menuka Adhikari, Angela JT and Sadhana Pariyar in female category were first, second and third respectively.
Veterans In the men's over 50 race, Dharma Maharjan, Revat Bahadur Dhakal and Abhinarayan Adhikari and Tolmaya Thapa, Durgalakshmi Gurung and Rammaya Gurung won the top three positions for women.
On the occasion of Chinese New Year, China's Yunnan football team won the Chinese New Year Cup friendly trophy against the Nepalese youth team at Dasharath Stadium on Saturday. Yunnan team won 2-0.
is not as game friendly. The players of both the teams were fighting badly in air ball and one versus one. The physical altercation continued until the end of the match. Nepal's Ashish Rai has a serious injury.
