More than 1,000 people from 20 countries including Nepal are participating in an international marathon in Kathmandu Valley on 18 February.

Organised by the Marathon Society of Nepal, the race is a fundraising event to set up a health fund to help the poor people in the Valley get free treatment. The proceeds will go to a hospital that treats homeless and impoverished Nepalis at highly subsidised rates. The race will start from Basantapur Darbar Square and will continue to Bhaktapur, Patan, finishing at Dasrat Stadium. The participation fee is $90 for international contestants and Rs 1,000 for Nepalis. With Toyota as the title sponsor, the winners can win a range of prizes.

This is an exciting event for a noble cause and we hope it will become an annual affair, said Roy K Kline of Scheer Memorial Hospital, the moving force behind the marathon. The Marathon Society, registered as a legitimate sport organisation, is also affiliated with the Association of International Marathon Runners and Races (AIMS). Out of the 1,000 marathon groups around the world, only 212 including one from Nepal are affiliated with AIMS.

Participants range from a schoolboy to a 70-year-old woman. Once the word gets out, more people will participate in the coming years, hopes Kline. The international participants from Europe, Mexico, USA, Africa and South East Asia have arrived in Nepal days before the event to acclimatise themselves to the weather.

Visit www.kathmandumarathon.org