A record 4,000 runners are set to take part in the 14th edition of the Kantipur Half Marathon, set to be held on Saturday under the slogan ‘Run for Nepal.’

Organised annually by Kantipur Media Group, the event will feature four categories this year: half-marathon, 5km corporate and influencer run, 7km Xtreme college run, and a 3km wheelchair race.

“We had initially set the registration deadline for Wednesday, but closed it on Thursday as entries kept rising,” said Mahesh Swar, chief executive officer of Kantipur Media Group. “This is the highest participation in the event’s history, with a strong presence of young runners.”

He said the turnout reflects a growing running culture in Nepal.

Swar said each runner in the half-marathon category will be equipped with a time-tracking chip to ensure accurate results.

The half-marathon covers a distance of 21.1km. Winners in both men’s and women’s categories will receive Rs150,000 each, while runners finishing second to sixth will earn Rs75,000, Rs50,000, Rs30,000, Rs20,000 and Rs10,000 respectively.

In the wheelchair race, the winner will receive Rs35,000, followed by Rs25,000 and Rs15,000 for second and third place.

The top three finishers in the corporate and influencer race, and Xtreme college run, in both men’s and women’s categories, will receive prizes and gift hampers. All finishers will be awarded medals this year.

The Xtreme college run winner will also get a chance to watch the IPL final, with travel and accommodation sponsored by Xtreme Energy Drinks.

The half-marathon will start at Tinkune, outside the KMG office, and pass through Koteshwar, Jadibuti, Lokanthali, Gatthaghar, Thimi and Sallaghari, turning at Jagati before returning via Koteshwar to finish at Tinkune. The corporate and influencer run will start at Tinkune, turn back from the Lokanthali bridge, and finish at Tinkune via Koteshwar. The wheelchair race will follow a Tinkune–Koteshwar–Tinkune route, while the Xtreme college run will extend up to Gatthaghar from Tinkune before returning along the same route.

Last year, Tribhuvan Army Club’s Khadak Bahadur Khadka and Olympian runner Santoshi Shrestha won the men’s and women’s titles, respectively. Kanchhi Maya Koju holds the record for the most women’s titles with five, while Hari Kumar Rimal has won four in the men’s category.

Global IME Bank is the title sponsor of the event, while Xtreme Energy Drinks is the ‘powered-by’ partner. The celebration partners of Kantipur Half Marathon include KFC and Pizza Hut. Nepal Athletics Association is the technical partner, while Frontline Hospital is the hospital partner. Food Management and Trading Company serves as the food partner for the event.