The Red Panda Marathon 2026 is heading somewhere new. This September, runners will trade familiar trails for the peaks of Solukhumbu. It’s the third edition of this unique race. And it’s shaping up to be the biggest one yet.
Organized by the Red Panda Network (RPN), the event blends trail running with conservation. Every step raises awareness for one of the Himalayas’ most endangered animals. This year, the race also welcomes a much wider crowd. So let’s break down what’s changing, why it matters, and how you can take part.
What Is the Red Panda Marathon 2026?
The Red Panda Marathon 2026 takes place on September 5 in Salleri, Solukhumbu. This district sits at the gateway to the Lower Everest region. It’s remote. It’s beautiful. And it’s home to wild red pandas.
RPN organizes the race with support from Play for Nature, a French conservation foundation. Local partner Himalayan Health and Environmental Services Solukhumbu (HHESS) also plays a key role. Together, they’ve built an event that goes beyond sport.
The marathon moves to a different red panda habitat each year. It started in Taplejung in 2024. Then it moved to Ilam in 2025. Now, in 2026, it arrives in Solukhumbu. Each stop shines a spotlight on communities working to protect this endangered species.
The 48 KM Course: A Climb to Pikey Peak
This year’s main event is not for casual runners. It’s a demanding 48 KM (30 mile) loop. The course is ITRA-registered, so it counts toward international trail running rankings.
Runners start and finish at Thekchhen Pema Chholing Gonpa. That sits at 2,360 meters (7,743 feet). From there, the route climbs steadily toward Pikey Peak. The summit reaches roughly 4,054 meters (13,300 feet). Total elevation gain runs past 2,872 meters (9,423 feet).
The route carries three ITRA points. But there’s a catch. Runners must finish within seven hours and thirty minutes to earn them. That cutoff makes this one of Nepal’s toughest high-altitude trail races.
Along the way, the trail passes through rhododendron and pine forests. It winds past Sherpa villages and ancient monasteries. The views from Pikey Peak are considered some of the best in the Everest region. So the effort comes with a serious reward.
This race clearly targets seasoned athletes. If you’ve run technical mountain trails before, this is your kind of challenge. If not, there’s now an easier way to join the movement.
New for 2026: The 5 KM Community Run
For the first time, RPN is introducing a 5 KM Red Panda Community Run. This changes who can take part in the Red Panda Marathon 2026 experience.
The route winds through the heart of Salleri. It follows a loop from Thekchhen Pema Chholing Gonpa through Serga Khop, Pong Dada, Phaplu, and Thulo Ghar, before returning to the start.
Unlike the marathon, this run welcomes everyone. Beginners can join. So can families, older runners, and first-timers. No technical trail experience is needed.
This addition matters. It opens the event to local communities who might never attempt the 48 KM climb. It also means more people connect directly with the conservation message. Fleur Visser, Conservation Manager at Play for Nature, put it simply. She said the marathon turns sport into a way to mobilize communities around protecting red pandas and their forests. She added that the new community run makes that engagement accessible to runners of every level.
A Familiar Face Joins the Cause
Nepali actor Dayahang Rai will take part in this year’s event. Rai has served as RPN’s Conservation Ambassador for several years now. He’s one of Nepal’s most recognized film stars, known for roles in Kabaddi and White Sun.
His involvement brings extra visibility to red panda conservation. Rai has spoken publicly about growing up in a village in eastern Nepal, surrounded by forests much like the ones red pandas depend on today. His presence at the Red Panda Marathon 2026 helps carry that message to a wider national audience.
Why the Red Panda Marathon Matters
Solukhumbu holds forests that many people never get to see. Red pandas live quietly within them, rarely spotted, increasingly at risk. Ang Phuri Sherpa, Executive Director of RPN, says the marathon does two things at once. It promotes a healthy, active lifestyle. And it highlights the urgent need to protect red pandas in this specific community.
Ngima Tenduk Sherpa, Chairperson of HHESS, shares a similar view. He describes the forest as holding treasures most people never encounter, with the red panda among the greatest of them. Events like this marathon, he explains, help the community notice what it already has. That awareness, he says, is a shared responsibility for both current and future generations.
This is the deeper purpose behind the Red Panda Marathon 2026. It’s not just a race. It’s a bridge between runners, remote communities, and a species that badly needs protecting.
Lessons From Ilam: The 2025 Edition
Last year’s marathon in Ilam left a mark that’s worth revisiting. Tularam Gurung, Mayor of Sandakpur Rural Municipality, said events like this draw visitors and build awareness. He noted that they strengthen community participation and unite people around a shared cause. He also credited the race with introducing Ilam as a major red panda habitat.
Runner Nirmala Rai had a more personal takeaway. Before the race, she assumed red pandas weren’t found in her home district of Khotang. Taking part changed that. She learned conservation work was already happening there too. That discovery left her excited about the possibility of a future Khotang edition.
Fellow runner Karan Rawal saw it differently, but arrived at the same conclusion. He said the event successfully combined two goals. It encouraged athletes while supporting red panda conservation at the same time.
These reflections show what makes the Red Panda Marathon different from a typical trail race. The finish line isn’t really the end. Every trail connects runners to a landscape. Every landscape connects them to a community. And every community holds a piece of the responsibility for keeping red pandas, and their forests, alive.
What Makes Solukhumbu Special
Solukhumbu isn’t just another district on the map. It sits at the doorstep of the Lower Everest region, making it one of Nepal’s most scenic corners. Trekkers already know this area for its dramatic ridgelines and Sherpa culture. Now, trail runners get their own reason to visit.
The district’s forests are quieter than the busier trekking routes further north. That quiet matters for red pandas, who avoid noise and human disturbance. It also means runners get an unusually raw, uncrowded experience. Few marathons anywhere offer both extreme elevation and genuine cultural immersion in a single loop.
Salleri itself serves as the district headquarters. It’s a compact hub town, easily reached by road or a short flight from Kathmandu to nearby Phaplu. That accessibility is part of why RPN chose it. Runners can reach the start line without weeks of trekking beforehand, unlike some of Nepal’s more remote ultra races.
Training for a High-Altitude Trail Marathon
Racing at altitude changes everything. The 48 KM Red Panda Marathon 2026 course climbs past 4,000 meters. At that height, oxygen levels drop noticeably. Even fit runners can struggle if they haven’t prepared properly.
A few basics help. First, prioritize time on your feet over speed. Long, slow hikes with a loaded pack build the kind of endurance this course demands. Second, if you can train at altitude beforehand, even a few days, your body will thank you on race day. Third, practice on technical, uneven terrain. This isn’t a flat road race. Loose rock, roots, and steep switchbacks define much of the route.
Hydration and pacing matter more here than on lowland courses. The air is drier at elevation, and dehydration sneaks up faster than runners expect. Many experienced mountain racers recommend drinking on a schedule, not just when thirsty. Pacing conservatively on the early climbs also helps avoid burnout before the final push to Pikey Peak.
Gear choices matter too. Trail shoes with strong grip are essential, given the loose and rocky sections. Layered clothing helps runners adjust as temperatures shift from the valley to the summit. A lightweight jacket is worth carrying, since weather near 4,000 meters can change quickly, even in September.
What to Expect on Race Day
Race day begins early at Thekchhen Pema Chholing Gonpa. Runners gather at the monastery before setting out on the long climb ahead. The atmosphere blends serious competition with community celebration, since local villagers often turn out to watch and support participants.
The course itself offers a mix of terrain. Early sections wind through forest, with plenty of shade and gradual climbing. As the route gains altitude, tree cover thins out. The final approach to Pikey Peak is steep and exposed, rewarding runners with sweeping Himalayan views once they reach the summit.
Aid stations are typically placed along the route, though runners tackling this kind of high-altitude terrain should still carry their own water and nutrition as a backup. Given the 7 hour 30 minute cutoff for ITRA points, pacing strategy matters as much as raw fitness.
After finishing, runners return to Salleri, where the community run participants and local supporters often gather for a shared celebration. It’s less a strict finish-line ceremony and more a village-wide event, tying directly into the marathon’s community focus.
The Bigger Picture: Red Pandas in Nepal
Red pandas face mounting pressure across their Himalayan range. Habitat loss, illegal poaching, and expanding infrastructure all threaten their survival. Nepal remains one of the last strongholds for the species, but even here, populations remain fragile.
That’s part of why events like the Red Panda Marathon 2026 carry weight beyond the finish line. Awareness campaigns alone rarely change outcomes for endangered species. But when awareness pairs with direct community involvement, like it does through RPN’s Forest Guardian programs, the impact compounds. Local people gain both a livelihood connection and a personal stake in protecting the forests around them.
The marathon’s rotating format, moving between Taplejung, Ilam, and now Solukhumbu, reflects this strategy. Rather than concentrating attention in one place, RPN spreads conservation messaging and community engagement across multiple red panda strongholds. Each new host district becomes part of a growing network of people invested in the species’ survival.
How to Register for the Red Panda Marathon 2026
Registration for both the 48 KM marathon and the 5 KM community run is open now. You can sign up through the official Red Panda Network website at redpandanetwork.org/Red-Panda-Marathon.
For questions about registration, you can call +977 1 4515745 Ext. 609, or +977 9843491009. For local support in Salleri, Solukhumbu, call +977 9862951189. You can also email marathon@redpandanetwork.org for further details.
The Organizations Behind the Race
A few groups make the Red Panda Marathon 2026 possible.
Red Panda Network has worked on red panda conservation for more than 15 years. It’s widely regarded as the world leader in this field. RPN partners directly with local communities in Nepal to run conservation programs that protect red pandas, support local people, and preserve fragile Himalayan ecosystems.
HHESS serves as RPN’s local partner in Solukhumbu. It implements community-based conservation work specific to the district.
Play for Nature, based in France, funds in-situ conservation projects worldwide. The foundation believes sport can strengthen social connections and drive lasting behavioral change. It has supported the Red Panda Marathon across all three editions, in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Final Thoughts
The Red Panda Marathon 2026 marks a turning point for this growing event. It brings elite trail running to a brand-new region. It opens the door to first-time runners through the community run. And it keeps building momentum for red panda conservation across eastern Nepal.
Whether you’re chasing ITRA points on Pikey Peak or joining the 5 KM run through Salleri, you’re supporting something bigger than a race. You’re helping protect a species, and the communities that share its home.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Red Panda Marathon 2026?
The race takes place on September 5, 2026, in Salleri, Solukhumbu, Nepal.
How long is the Red Panda Marathon course?
The main event is a 48 KM (30 mile) ITRA-registered loop, climbing to Pikey Peak at roughly 4,054 meters.
Is there an easier option for beginners?
Yes. The new 5 KM Red Panda Community Run is open to all ages and experience levels, with an easier route through Salleri.
What is the time limit for the 48 KM marathon?
Runners must finish within 7 hours and 30 minutes to earn ITRA points.
Who organizes the Red Panda Marathon?
The Red Panda Network organizes the event, with support from Play for Nature and local partner HHESS.
How do I register?
You can register through redpandanetwork.org/Red-Panda-Marathon or by contacting the organizers directly by phone or email.
Where was the marathon held before 2026?
The race launched in Taplejung in 2024, then moved to Ilam in 2025, before arriving in Solukhumbu for 2026.
Why does the marathon move locations each year?
It moves to different districts where red pandas are found, spreading conservation awareness across multiple communities in Nepal.
