Nepalese runner Budha escapes arranged marriage to make a life on trails, dedicating herself to ‘something greater’
- Sunmaya Budha lies to her parents about postponing marriage to seek an education and instead pursues a running career
- She wins races such as Gaoligong and Oman by UTMB, proving herself a match for the best in the world
When Sunmaya Budha’s parents heard on the radio that she came third in a running race, they were extremely surprised. Their 17-year-old daughter old was supposed to be dutifully studying – after all, she had convinced them to delay arranging her marriage and let her leave the village to get an education. She certainly was not supposed to be running.
Budha was told to return home immediately and get married. Neighbours talked about her scandalous behaviour. But she refused. Alone, with no income and no safety net, she was not stepping off her path to become a professional mountain runner.
High in the mountains of Western Nepal, the young girl who ran barefoot and won every race in school was about to turn societal norms on their head and “make her parents” proud – even at the cost of deceiving them.
She found a coach and a club in the Jumla district of Karnali province who encouraged girls to join – going against patriarchal local traditions – and then opened doors to the world.
“I knew that education was very important, but I wanted to do something greater by dedicating myself to sport,” she said. “Even though I lied to my parents, I justified my decision [to drop out of school] by doing what I was truly interested in.
“I hoped to realise my hopes and dreams in trail running, and to make my parents proud by doing better in running that I would have done academically,” she said.
