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Mark Agnew

Nepal’s Sunmaya Budha battled to a nine-second victory over China’s Xiang Fuzhao in the 70km Wenling Golden Coast Trail Race, cementing her rise from poverty and an arranged marriage to ultra-running stardom.
The pair collapsed at the finish line, having exchanged the lead back and forth for more than seven hours.
Sunmaya, 25, said she could hardly breathe during last few hundred metres.
“I didn’t have much idea about this race but was told it’s one of biggest and most important races in China so I thought there would be some good competition,” Budha said.
“When I learned Fuzhao was racing 70km I knew she would be one of hardest to beat.”


On the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) rankings, Xiang is ranked number two in Asia for all distances and Budha a place below. Xiang, 32, is also the No 2 woman worldwide for 100km.
Sunmaya finished in seven hours, six minutes and 17 seconds, beating the course record by 10 minutes, previously held by Miao Yao, who is ranked No 4 in the world for 100km.
Wenling has become one of the largest and most competitive trail and ultra races in China. It grew from around 1,500 runners last year to 4,500 across three distances, including the 70km. The region is on the coast, about five hours south of Shanghai.
Running from arranged marriage to the trails and ‘something greater’
There is live television coverage and large prize money – RMB30,000 (US$4,100/HK$32,400) for the winner of the feature race.
For Budha, the victory transcends sport. She was born into a poverty stricken area in Nepal with few prospects. She had been destined for an arranged marriage when she secretly started attending a running academy.
Her parents only found out when they heard on the radio she had finished third in a race – they demanded she come home. Budha refused and stuck to her own, risky path.
As her success grew, opportunities and prize money followed. Her family eventually came round and now Budha’s success helps to support them in Nepal.

“Thinking about the past is not enough for me, I can do much more,” Budha said. “Also, this is my job and my career and I want to help my future and family more.”
In 2022, she finished second at the 100km CCC during the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in Chamonix, the most high profile and competitive ultra event in the world.
‘Courage of Budha’ – escaping arranged marriage to full-time deal
“The CCC was my biggest breakthrough performance but this [Wenling] one was very good to start 2024,” she said.
“It’s a big win for me – especially in China. I was supposed to race HK100 as my first race with Kailas but had an ankle injury that took more time to recover and Kailas was very supportive when I had to skip that important and big race.
“It’s so important to have sponsors who understand all athletes have to deal with injuries and cannot always be 100 per cent or even ready to race.”

The Wenling race, which took place on April 2, started in a heavy downpour. A lot of the course is road running or dirt roads, and 40 per cent is technical rocky single tracks and coastal paths winding through abandoned villages with views over the sea.
For the first hour and half, Xiang and Budha ran alongside one another. This was Budha’s tactic – to stay close and observed Xiang’s strengths and weaknesses. Going through the second checkpoint, Budha had a quicker transition and gained about a 20-second lead then pushed hard to keep it.
As she approached check point five, at around 42km, she began to cramp in her quads and calves. The pair were then neck and neck for the remainder of the race. Xiang hammered down some hills to drop Sunmaya but she held on.

Both were on the verge of cramping so were reluctant to make a big move. Then, with 1km left, Sunmaya pushed with everything she had. She drew just 100m ahead. Both were fighting on their limit and collapsed in a bundle over the finish line.
“It was a very hard race battling together like that back and forth, but this also gave me more energy to push in the race,” Budha said. “The mental side was a big challenge as the whole race I was strategising what to do next and also managing my cramps.”
In the final few hundred metres, Budha told herself just to try her best and that she would be happy either way.

Budha’s manager, Ryan Blair, leader of the Asia-Pacific Adventure (APA) team, said it was “certainly the most epic head-to-head battle between two elite woman I have ever witnessed. Sunmaya showed not just her athletic talent but her strategic wisdom and tactical experience to pull off this epic win.”


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Extreme fitness

Sunmaya Budha wins Wenling 70km – Chinese ultra race with 4,500 runners and big prize money - by just 9 seconds

Sunmaya Budha on her way to a nine second victory in the Wenling Golden Coast Trail Race. Photo: Naden81

Wenling Golden Coast Trail Race is now one of the biggest races in China, if not the world, with 4,500 runners. Photo: Naden81

Sunmaya Budha (centre) battled with Xiang Fuzhao (left) and eventually took a 9 second vicotry at the Wenling Golden Coast Trail Race 2024. Photo: Kailas

Sunmaya Budha (behind), Xiang Fuzhao (front), engaged in an epic race. Photo: Naden81

Wet conditions throughout the day. Photo: Naden81

Sunmaya Budha hopes to challenge gender norms in Nepal with UTMB CCC heroics – ‘I’m no less than a boy’

Fans celebrate with Sunmaya Budha as she crosses the finish line in second at the UTMB CCC. Photos: Olly Bowman/Asia Pacific Adventure

Sunmaya Budha [left] flies the flag of Nepal on the finish line of the CCC. 

Sunmaya Budha on the final climb of the UTMB CCC, where she cut down the front-runner’s lead from 21 minutes at the final checkpoint, to five minutes on the finish line. 

Sunmaya Budha does not notice her Achilles injury as she pushes to second place. 

Sunmaya Budha celebrates with fans after coming second at the UTMB CCC despite an Achilles injury.

Sunmaya Budha [left] celebrates with her team director Ryan Blair. 

North Face Adventure Team sign first full-time woman in years, who escaped arranged marriage by dedicating herself to ultra running

Sunmaya Budha is the first woman to join The North Face Adventure Team full-time. Photo: The North Face Adventure Team

UTMB by Oman. OMAN by UTMB® ultra-trail challenge.29th November 2019.Runners at the top W8 check point , above Balad Sayt village. Credit Lloyd Images / Vincent Curutchet

Sunmaya Budha. Photo: The North Face Adventure Team

Nepalese runner Budha escapes arranged marriage to make a life on trails, dedicating herself to ‘something greater’

Sunmaya Budha on her way to winning the 50km division at Oman by UTMB. Photo: Oman Sail/Oman by UTMB

Sunmaya Budha (left) and Mira Rai first and third at 2019 UTMB by Oman. OMAN by UTMBÂ® ultra-trail 2019 Prize Giving in Nizwa. Credit Lloyd Images / Antony Jones / Oman Sail / Oman by UTMB

The first team of Nepalese woman to run the Oxfam Trailwalker, (left to right): Humi Budha Magar; Chhechi Sherpa Rai; Mira Rai; Rashila Tamang; Sunmaya Budha; and Chhoki Sherpa, photographed at the SAP office, Times Square, Causeway Bay. 14NOV18 SCMP / Winson Wong

Sunmaya training on the the dirt running track of Karnali Sports Club in Jumla, Nepal. Photo: Karnali Sports Club

This handout picture shows Nepali athlete Sunmaya Budha on her way to win Manaslu Trail Race. Photo : Richard Bull 23JAN17 [FEATURES]

UTMB by Oman. OMAN by UTMBÂ® ultra-trail challenge.30th November 2019. Prize giving ceremony. Photo: Lloyd Images / Vincent Curutchet /Oman Sail / Oman by UTMB

Hari Rokaya the founder of Karnali Sports Club and the club's volunteer athletes during COVID-19 crisis. Credit: Soraj Shah

Sunmaya Budha training with her two female club mates from Karnali Sports Club. Photo: Karnali Sports Club

Sport

Outdoor

Trail Running

Sunmaya Budha says ‘thinking about past is not enough for me’ as she rises from rural Nepal to ultra stardom
Budha beats Xiang Fuzhoa, ITRA-ranked No 2 100km female runner worldwide


Sunmaya Budha says ‘thinking about past is not enough for me’ as she rises from rural Nepal to ultra stardom, and wants to continue to support her family.


Trail running and hiking

Ultra trail of Mont Blanc - UTMB

Sunmaya Budha wins Wenling 70km – Chinese ultra race with 4,500 runners and big prize money - by just 9 seconds

Sunmaya Budha says ‘thinking about past is not enough for me’ as she rises from rural Nepal to ultra stardom Budha beats Xiang Fuzhoa, ITRA-ranked No 2 100km female runner worldwide

Sunmaya Budha says ‘thinking about past is not enough for me’ as she rises from rural Nepal to ultra stardom

Budha beats Xiang Fuzhoa, ITRA-ranked No 2 100km female runner worldwide