This year's Red Panda Marathon is going to be held at Sandakpur in Ilam. On the occasion of 'International Red Panda Day', October 4 will be held on Saturday (September 20). The competition was held for the first time in Taplejung on October 5 last year in the name of Red Panda.

It was conducted from the headquarter Fungling to the headquarter via Pathibhara. But this year's tournament is not called the second one. Last year, the International Red Panda Trail took place. Wangchu Bhotia, the project coordinator of Redpanda Network, informed that this year they will be running on the road instead of on the trail and international runners will not be participating. A distance of 44.2 km has been fixed in Ilam for the

marathon. According to the coordinator of Deep Jyoti Youth Club Panchthar Project Office Ilam, Ram Rimal, the competition will start from the Chowk Bazar of Ilam headquarters at a height of 1,222 meters and reach Sandukpur at a height of 3,610 meters. Last year, the runner returned after reaching a height of 3,794 meters. 

The prize money for this year's competition has been greatly increased. According to Rimal, only 7 lakh 20 thousand rupees will be spent on the cash prize. Sonam Sherpa, Conservation Manager of Redpanda Network, informed that the prize is equal for both men and women.

Last year there was a difference in prize money for men and women. In Taplejung, the citizens expressed their displeasure with the organizers saying that they discriminated in prize money by running at the same distance. Rimal informed that prizes will be given in three categories this year.

in which there are men, women and the district where the project is run. 1 lakh 50 thousand for men and women, 1 lakh for second, and 1 lakh for third  50,000 and the fourth runner-up will receive 30,000 rupees. Competitors from project-run Taplejung, Panchthar and Ilam will receive 25, 20 and 10 and 5 thousand prizes. Rimal informed that the award will be given to the fourth.