The 12th edition of the Kantipur Half Marathon kicked off on Saturday.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal fired a starter gun to inaugurate the annual running event, which has seen a turn out of over 3,000 participants across four categories this year.

The 2024 chapter of the half marathon, which carries a slogan ‘Run to inspire the young’, features men’s and women’s half marathon (21.1 km), corporate run (5 km), college run (7 km) and wheelchair race (3 km). The college run was added to the event from the 2023 edition.

The 21.1 km half marathon—the main event of the annual road running event—started from the Central Business Park, the office of Kantipur Publications at Thapathali, and will traverse through Maitighar Mandala, Baneshwar, Tinkune, Koteshwar, Jadibuti, Lokanthali, Ghatthaghar, Thimi, Sallaghari chowk and returned via the same route before finishing at the starting point.

The winners of the men’s and women’s half-marathon will bag a purse of Rs100,000 each. The runner-up will receive Rs50,000, while the third-placed, fourth-placed, fifth-placed and sixth-placed runners will get Rs30,000, Rs20,000, Rs10,000 and Rs5,000, respectively.

The winner, runner-up and the third-place finisher in the wheelchair category will earn Rs30,000, Rs20,000 and Rs10,000, respectively.

The top-three finishers of corporate run and college run will also receive various prizes and gift hampers.

Kantipur Media Group first organised the road-running event on February 19, 2011 to commemorate its 18th anniversary. More than 1,000 runners had participated in the first edition.

The event has been continued annually since, establishing itself as one of the premier distance running events in the country.