This year’s Red Panda Marathon will be held in Solukhumbu in Pikepick
Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The third edition of Red Panda Marathon is taking place in Salleri, Solukhumbu on September 20, with an emphasis on conservation of red panda, community participation and adventure tourism.
This year’s event at Salleri, which is the gateway to the Lower Everest region, aims to spread the message of Red Panda conservation through sports to the community, nationally and internationally. The event is being organized by Red Panda Network with support from Play for Nature and Mountain Health and Environmental Service, Solukhumbu with the objective of raising awareness among the national and international community about Red Panda conservation and to promote the lower Sagarmatha region as an adventure tourism destination in the international market.
The marathon is a program organized in different areas where red pandas are found in Nepal and active conservation programs of the Red Panda Network.
The first edition of the Red Panda Marathon was held in Taplejung in 2024 and the second in Ilam in 2025.
A total of 140 runners had participated in the first two editions.
He also spent 425 hours on the trail to protect red pandas.
Runners from more than 16 districts of Nepal as well as from India and Korea participated in the event.
This year’
s marathon will be held in Salleri, Solukhumbu, from where runners will race through the mountainous landscape adjacent to the Red Panda’s habitat.
The 2026 marathon will start from Thekchen Pema Chholing Gonpa (2,360 meters) in Salleri, and will end up at Pikepeak (4,054 meters) on a 48-kilometer-long ITRA-registered trail. The course will be extremely challenging for experienced trail runners and adventurers alike as it covers an elevation of approximately 2,872 meters.
This route can be used to earn 3 ITA points, for which the runners will have to complete the race in 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Runners will have the opportunity to connect directly with the Himalayan landscape of the lower Everest region, local communities, and the natural environment associated with Red Panda conservation.
For the first time this year, a 5-km ‘Red Panda Community Run’ will be organized in Salleri.
The journey will start from Thekchen Pemachholing Monastery and pass through Sergakhop, Pong Danda, Phaplu and Thuloghar, and end at Thekchenpe Chholing Monastery.
Compared to the marathon, the Funrun will be smoother in nature and will be open to beginners, participants of all ages and abilities. Local participation will be especially encouraged.
The addition of a 5km run with a challenging 48
km marathon is expected to make this year’s event more inclusive. Adding more excitement to this year’s event, renowned actor and conservation ambassador of Red Panda Network Dayahang Rai will also be attending the event in Salleri.
“The Red Panda Marathon connects the community to protect red pandas and their habitats through sports,” said Fleur Visser, conservation manager at Play for Nature.
With the addition of the 5km run, there is an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to participate in conservation campaigns. This will help spread the message of conservation to more communities. “The Red Panda Marathon will promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the importance of Red Panda conservation in Solukhumbu,” said Angfuri Sherpa, Executive Director of Red Panda Network.
The main objective of the Red Panda Marathon is to bring the forests where the Red Panda shelters and its associated communities closer to people. Solukhumbu is known for its rich forest and various wildlife including red panda.
But many people may not know about the forests and wildlife found there. That’s why events like the Red Panda Marathon are so important.
Ngima Tendup Sherpa, president of the Himalayan Health and Environmental Service, Solukhumbu, says, “Our forest has invaluable natural resources that many people have not seen.
Red Panda is one of them. Such programs help us understand the natural heritage we have and remind us that its conservation is a shared responsibility of us and future generations. “
Experiences of the Marathon
Last year’s marathon in Ilam had a similar impact on runners and local leadership.
Tularam Gurung, chairperson of Sandakpur Rural Municipality, said, “Events like the Red Panda Marathon help to attract visitors, raise awareness and unite the community for conservation.
It also helps to identify Ilam as a major habitat for red pandas. ” I didn’t know that the Red Panda conservation work was going on,” said Nirmala Rai, a runner. I was happy to know that Red Panda conservation work is being done in Khotang too. I am excited about the possibility of organizing Red Panda Marathon in Khotang as well. Karan Rawal said, “Marathon has linked sports with Red Panda conservation. Thank you for such a program that encourages players and also contributes to conservation. The marathon is open to experienced runners interested in nature, adventure travel and conservation.
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