3rd Heritage Marathon on Saturday

The third Nepal Investment Bank Limited (NIBL) Heritage Marathon will he held on Saturday in an effort to create awareness about the need to conserve the country’s historical monuments.

The bank, actively supporting such activities in various ways for the last 10 years, introduced the marathon event two years ago to spread the word and raise funds for the cause. The marathon, with Rs 500,000 prize money, will start at 6:30 am from Durbarmarg with the theme—’Run for Heritage Conservation’.

The bank extended Rs 2.5 million—raised through the inaugural event—for the renovation of the Sundari Chowk in Patan in 2007 and raised Rs 6 million from the second edition in 2009 for the improvement of Pashupati Aryaghat.

The third edition of the run is expected to raise Rs 10 million to assist Sanskritik Sampada Samuha and Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust for the restoration project of Bahi Degah Temple at Patan. The temple now is a shadow of its former self, with no resemblance at all to its original form. A pagoda style temple was reduced to rubbles by the great earthquake of 1934 AD.  It will get its original look once the project is completed in two and half years at an estimated cost of Rs 40 million.

NIBL CEO Prithivi Bahadur Pande, has stressed on the need to conserve the monuments and keep alive the country’s history. “If we do not work towards the conversation of our heritage, we will be known as the generation that did not do anything,” said Pande, adding that the effort was part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility and the funds would be raised from people having interest for the cause.

VISA is one of the major partners for the cause, extending a donation of US$ 5000, the bank said in a statement. The Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, based in the US, is another key partner.   

The race will feature four categories: 21 km open race for men, 10 km open race for females, 5 km race for school students in two different categories, and 1 km open race for differently people. Besides there will be  separate races for foreign participants in the men’s and women’s categories.

source: The Kathmandu Post,29 April 2012