It took me three half-marathons to realize that maybe I’m just not cut out for them; or maybe my training hasn’t been enough. And by training, I mean eating healthy for a week before race day, bragging about how I have a race coming up, and knowing all the fun facts about it.
From now on, I’m shifting my focus to daily runs with weekly mileage targets. I want to consistently hit those before signing up for another half-marathon that ends up exhausting me and hurting like hell.
I first heard about One Run three or four months ago while looking for upcoming races in Kathmandu. I had already done two half-marathons; one at the Kathmandu Marathon in September 2024, and another at Run for Protein in January 2025. I came in last at both.
Still, every time I’m at the starting line, I stand firm, telling myself, “It’s just 21 KMs – I’ll cross it in no time.” But then, once I hit the 5 to 10 KM mark, it starts building up, and I just want it to end.
But today at One Run, it hit me differently. I wanted it to end just 2 KM in; even though I knew I had the stamina for at least 10 more. My shins were on fire, my calves were getting worse by the minute, and my breathing just collapsed on me.
For a moment, I seriously considered quitting and heading home, giving up on that shiny medal that, honestly, was the main reason I signed up for One Run this year. (The medal is really good.)
Somehow, with all the ups and downs – literally in the route – I crossed the finish line. My timing was still pretty bad, though better than my previous ones. Yet it felt like a loss with all that I went through on those stretched-out roads.
As for the event’s management, I’m thoroughly disappointed with the NRS Sports Foundation. For an organizer handling over 1000 runners (as they claimed), they failed to cover the basics.
There was no envoy to guide or protect lead runners through traffic – something that’s absolutely essential in a city like Kathmandu. I didn’t get a single bottle of water along the route and had to buy one myself just to keep going. And when I finally crossed the finish line, I was told the medals were out of stock.
The Half Marathon finisher badge? That was handed out only to early runners. The rest of us had to argue just to get what we had rightfully earned. Their excuse? “Registrations were sold out.”
But that makes no sense. If registrations were closed days before the event, they knew exactly how many runners were participating. That should’ve meant exactly that many medals and badges – one per runner. How do you run out when you already have a fixed number?
NRS Foundation had similar issues at the Kathmandu Marathon 2024, where volunteers ended up consuming the food and drinks meant for the runners.
Paying Rs. 1200 for One Run felt like a waste. It was a horrible experience overall.
From here on, I’ll focus on building my base with smaller runs. I’m done chasing medals I have to fight to receive – and half-marathons I’m not ready for.
Certificate
Link to Result: One Run 2025 Result
Strava Activity – One Run 2025
Photos from One Run 2025
