Nepali runners continued their domination as Dong Nima Sherpa won the second Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon 2004 putting off the challenge of Akkal Bahadur Bohara. He crossed the finish line at Namche Bazar in 4:03:08 on 29th June 2004 to win the marathon, starting from the highest altitude, ahead of Bohara, an Armed Police Force personnel, who clocked 4:06:00. Army-man Man Bahadur Moktan finished third with timing of 4:26:34. Defending champion Uttar Kumar Rai had crossed the finish line in 4:24:45 ahead of Moktan but was disqualified for taking a short route. Rai, who finished 1 minute 49 seconds ahead of Moktan, claimed that he had not taken the short-cut intentionally. "I was misinformed about the route. The route I took wouldn't have made difference of even a minute," a visibly sad Rai told The Kathmandu Post.

Twentyfive-year-old Dong Nima Sherpa hailing from Bikanje, Solukhumbu, improved upon his last years' performance of eighth position and finished the grueling trail first. "I had trained for a month for the trip round Annapurna in April and that helped me tremendously," said Sherpa, who studies I. Com. Second year in Pashupati Campus, Chabahil, Kathmandu. Yangdi Lama Sherpa finished ahead of six females to win the ladies' title. The 17-year old girl from Taksinda, Solukhumbu finished in 5:55:40 to win the event on her first attempt. Mingma Doma Sherpa and Phura Yangjee Sherpa clocked 6:09:50 and 6:47:32 to finish second and third respectively. The marathoners started from Everest Base Camp at 7 am (5,364 m) and scurried through Gorek Shep (5,140 m), Lobuche (5,110 m), Thukla (4,830 m), Pheriche Bazar (4,270 m), Pangboche (3,930 m), Tengboche (3,860 m), Khumjung Hillary School (3,780 m), Syangboche Airport (3,720 m), Phurte (3,390 m) before finishing at Namche Bazar (3,440 m).

The marathon, organized by Himalaya Expeditions Inc. and promoted by Nepal Tourism Board with technical assistance from National Sports Council, featured 86 marathoners with five foreigners including eight females (seven Nepali). A total of 71 marathoners including four foreigners completed the race. Mike Callaghan of Canada clocked 7:07:44 to finish first among the foreigners (61st overall) while the only lady foreigner Sylvia Moser, also from Canada, finished 71st. The organizers have decided to award the top three foreign finishers from next year to encourage foreign marathoners. The winner of men's category pursed Rs 15,000 while the runner-up and the second runner-up received Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively. Similarly, the top three women-finishers got Rs 7,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 3,000 respectively. Chief guest Wolf Rudiger George Lemp, German Ambassador, his wife Azra Habib, president of Himalaya Expedition Bikram Pandey and Ang Tshering Sherpa awarded the winners amid a program held later today.

OTHER NEWS

• Monsoon to begin earlier this year: Kids may be singing 'rain rain go away' ... But expect more rain, as all indications suggest that the continuing pre-monsoon activity might just merge with monsoon, which can start any time in the next couple of days, say meteorologists. According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD), present atmospheric conditions indicate that the arrival of monsoon this year over Nepal will be a couple of days earlier than normal. MFD's forecast is based on the weather map analysis and satellite imagery. Generally, monsoon starts in eastern Nepal on June 10. Already, monsoon has progressed earlier than normal over southern India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and northeast India.
  
  
• Pemba's Everest feat draws controversy: With Lakpa Gelu Sherpa's formal complaint against Pemba Dorjee Sherpa's Everest ascent in a record 8 hours 10 minutes as unjustified, the latter's record set this May has come under controversy."Looking into the facts, Pemba cannot make it to the top in the said time. And if he did, he has misreported the government officials regarding the timing of his ascent," claimed Lakpa Gelu. Lakpa was talking to The Kathmandu Post after filing a complaint at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) today asking the government to cancel Pemba's record and re-instate his own. In his complaint letter filed at the Ministry, Lakpa has stated that there is an inconsistency between the time Pemba took to reach Camp 2 from Base Camp and the summit from Camp 2. "If we believe what Pemba has said then one can speed up his pace at higher altitudes," he said. "One who takes three hours to climb 1100 meters between Base Camp and Camp 2, cannot reach the summit, which is 2448 meters from Camp 2 in the next 5 hrs and 10 minutes," he claimed. The climate was also unfavourable, Lakpa said adding that an American expedition team - Alpine Ascent International - could not proceed from Camp 2 due to bad weather when Pemba is said to have reached the top. According to the claim, there was no one above the height of 6,500 meters on the 21st of May - the day when Pemba Dorjee is believed to have reached the top at record fastest time.
  
  
• Tourists' arrival soars: Despite a series of bandas (strikes) and continuing political instability, the tourism industry has posted an increase of 22 percent in tourist arrival last month. According to a figure compiled by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 22,278 tourists visited the country by air during the period. Of the total increment, the number of tourists coming from the third countries went up by a whopping 48 per cent, while the tourism industry witnessed a slight growth of 2 percent in the arrival of Indian tourists.
  

By Hari Shrestha, Resident Representative in Kathmandu