Rashila Tamang: A teen’s race, from fun to fame, in Nepal’s trail and ultrarunning scene

Rashila Tamang first ran for fun. As a part of the Women’s Day event in 2015, a 16-year-old Tamang stood in the starting line wearing jeans and a shirt. She did not even have proper running shoes and had to borrow one from one of the hosts of the event. Running with the shoes larger than her feet and clothes not meant for running, Tamang came second, only behind Mira Rai.

“I thought it was a rally,” says Tamang. “But, everyone started to run. It was only 5 km, but it felt nice to run and come second.”