As running events grow in popularity in the country, the Bhutan Amateur Athletics Federation, BAAF is proposing a national certification system to improve consistency and accountability. The proposal was discussed at a recent stakeholder meeting in Paro attended by representatives from ministries, the Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bhutan Police, tour operators, district administrations, and the Bhutan Olympic Committee. BAAF says the new system will not only improve safety and event standards but also create opportunities to attract international runners and identify and develop Bhutanese talent.
The proposed certification system would cover road, trail, mountain and uphill races, as well as recreational and community runs.
Currently, these running events are organised by different organisers and institutions without a common technical framework.
The stakeholder meeting proposed establishing clearer standards for all running events while clarifying the roles of organisers and BAAF.
Under the proposed system, organisers would submit event details to BAAF for review. The application would undergo technical checks on the course, safety and medical arrangements before approval, correction or rejection.
Requirements would include course verification, safety and medical plans, emergency arrangements, environmental protection, timing and results, and post-event reporting.
General Secretary of BAAF, Dorji Tenzin, says if finalised, the certification and sanctioning system will ensure running events meet international standards. “When that happens, we see a very good chance of world-class athletes participating in our races here.”
He adds that standardisation could also help recognise Bhutanese runners.
“If we do not certify an event, the race results may not receive international recognition, no matter how well our Bhutanese runners perform. That is why we felt our races should have a system that can provide that recognition to our runners.”
Under the proposed framework, results from certified events could be used for BAAF rankings, course records and national record consideration. BAAF could also use event data for athlete tracking, talent identification, participation reporting and national sports planning.
Penjor Gyeltshen, a member of BAAF, says runners competing in a certified event can gain official recognition. “Since many running events are organised in the country, young runners can gain valuable competition experience through these races, while the results can also help with athlete development and talent identification.”
Under the new proposal, BAAF will respond to violations with measures ranging from warnings for minor issues to exclusion and referral to authorities for serious or repeated offences.
BAAF plans to complete the review of the proposal, which is still in the draft stage and conduct a pilot phase before wider implementation.
The federation believes the proposed system has the potential to support Bhutan’s growing interest in sports tourism by creating events that can meet international standards and become more attractive to overseas participants.
Karma Samten Wangda, Paro
