Younger brother pips elder to post KATHMANDU: Phurba Tamang piped his elder brother Ram Kumar to the post to win the Seventh Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon — Himalayan Expedition is the organiser of the annual event — in 3 hours, 40 minutes and 47 seconds. His sibling clocked 4:07:20, followed by Sudeep Kulung Rai (4:09:48). Phurba’s feat is an improvement from his last year’s performance. He was runner up to Deepak Raj Rai, who had won the last three editions. He also holds the meet record — 3:28:27, which was set in 2006. The top three got $1,000, $500 and $300 as prize money. Lingma Chhonje Sherpa won the women’s race in 5 hours, 5 minutes and 32 seconds. Ang Fuchi Sherpa came second in 5:21:24 and Ling Fuchi Sherpa clocked 5:21:31 for the third spot. Altogether, 115 athletes — 63 from Nepal, 52 foreigners and 16 women, including seven Nepalis — took part in the event. Indian Army troika of Shyam Kesho (5:37:25), Om Kumar (5:38:46) and P Ganapathi (6:06:30) led from the front in the foreigners’ category. The cash award for the women and foreigners’ categories was $500, $300 and $200. India fielded 14, the largest number of participants among the foreigners. Nine Germans were also in the fray. German Ambassador to Nepal Gerena Graesinvonroebern and Ameli Hillary, the grand daughter of Sir Edmund Hillary, gave away the prizes. The race, which started from the Everest Base Camp — situated at an altitude of 5,364 metres — made its way through Gorak Shep, Lobuche, Thugla, Dingboche, Orsho, Pangboche, Thyangboche, Phungltenga, Sanasa, Khumjung Monastery, Khunde Hospital and Syangboche before culminating at Namche Bazaar (3,440 metres). Earlier, the nation’s first Olympian 84-year-old Ganga Bahadur Thapa, who who took part in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, ran the seven-km symbolic fun run. The annual event is organised on the occasion of the Everest Day. Tenzing and Hillary were the first to conquer the world’s highest peak on this day in 1953.