The Thunder Dragon Marathon, organised by the Blue Poppy Tours and Trek, is gaining popularity among foreign runners. This year’s event, held in Paro today, saw a slight increase in international participation. The event drew 87 international participants, up from 75 last year.
This is the 13th edition of the run. A total of 190 runners participated in the marathon. The annual event is focused on promoting tourism and encouraging people to build a running spirit.
The marathon has two categories: a full marathon of 42 kilometres for men and a 21-kilometre half marathon for female runners.
In the men’s category, 35-year-old Jampel Choeda won the marathon in two hours, 59 minutes and 54 seconds. He broke last year’s record by nearly five minutes.
“This is my first time taking part in this run. I didn’t know how the course would be. But it was a good experience as the trek had ascents and descents. Similarly, we also got experience running off-road as well.”
Similarly, in the 21-kilometre category, 25-year-old Tshering Lhamo won the race. She covered the race in 1 hour 54 minutes, and 43 seconds.
“I practised every morning and evening for this run. Running is my passion, and I want to participate in every marathon.”
Participants appreciated the unique route of the marathon, which passed through the scenic Paro valley and diverse terrain, adding to the event’s charm.
“An amazing experience, Bhutan is a place that I love. I have always wanted to do a marathon here. I did a half marathon today. It was challenging for me altitude-wise as I live in Abu Dhabi, which is at sea level, but is really enjoyed the course because we had ups and then descents. So, on those descents it was really nice it felt like flying in nature,” said Zelmare, Runner, UAE.
“It was a very wonderful experience and was as expected. I thought it would be very difficult but it was fun and very beautiful sights on the way with rice fields. The only difficulty was elevated altitude,“ said Luis Castan Fornes, Runner, Spain.
“I trained for this run in the morning and evening. I knew about this marathon from a friend as I missed information on the run somehow. I am happy that I did made it in the top three,” said Lhamo, Runner, Paro.
“We have a group who are runners and we decided to come here in group. It was challenging and at the same time it was fun. The trek where we practised is normally plain, but this time the course has different terrain. It was tough,” said Dechen Wangmo, Runner, Thimphu.
The organiser hopes to attract 100 international runners in the next edition.
“They have to pay the normal tariff, on top of that, they have to pay an extra 400 US Dollars to run in this marathon. This money supports local runners in terms of free T-shirts, medals and logistics such as food and transportation. The idea is to support local runners so that we have more local runners in the future,” said Choki Dorji, organiser, Blue Poppy Tours and Trek.
To reach more runners, the organiser hired professional cameramen and videographers to film the race and share it on the company’s website and social media platforms.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
Edited by Sonam Pem
