Bhutan International Marathon (BIM) hits Record Breaking Participation While Supporting all Factions of its Country
In 2014 the Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC) and I launched the first Bhutan International Marathon and Half Marathon (BIM) in the gorgeous Punakha and Gasa Dzongkhag’s (regions). That first year we exceeded our expectations by getting almost 40 International participants and a total of 250 runners for both the marathon and half marathon. The next year we doubled international participant numbers with over 75 runners while totals for both races remained at mid 200’s. While registrations are still pouring in for 2016, we already have over 130 International participants registered!! (while Bhutanese runners are still registering at the last minute).
Here is why this is so incredibly exciting to me: There has never been a sporting event where this many “outsiders” are on board to experience Bhutan through sport—in this case running. International participation allows the BOC to make some money on the event—in 2 out of 3 years we have been in the black financially. It also brings a signifiant amount of money in a short period of time into; the country in general via tourism tarrif fees, the hotels and restaurants, as well as giving drivers, guides, travel agents and others who benefit from tourism, a lot of business. 130 people may seem like a small number to many of us, but to Bhutan the positive impact, in particular in the petite Punakha region is significant. The BOC has a long way to go in developing the sport of running in the country but the international participant numbers are showing the Bhutanese the viability of the sport around the world. It is a starting place for Bhutan while being a culturally unique and beautiful place to run a race.
Huge thanks to all who have supported this endeavor! We head to Punakha soon to execute the race, which for me, is always an iconic cultural experience… Tashi Delek from Bhutan!
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