Coach behind Sunmaya Budha’s rise sees Nepal as ultra-running’s next powerhouse

Andy DuBois, a world-renowned ultra-trail running coach from Australia, has issued a strong call to Nepal: "you do not want to lose these athletes." DuBois, himself a former elite trail runner and a leading expert in using technology to measure runner effort, sees immense potential for Nepal to become a global powerhouse in ultra-endurance sports.

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Nepal, you do not want to lose these athletes.

DuBois has been instrumental in the success of several Nepali trail runners, most notably Sunmaya Budha. Budha recently shattered an 11-year-old record at the Lavaredo Ultra Trail 120K in Italy, a feat DuBois attributes to her exceptional capabilities and his data-driven coaching methods. He describes coaching Nepali runners as "fascinating" because they consistently exceed perceived human limits. "Sunmaya is, by far, the best athlete I have ever trained," DuBois stated, highlighting her meticulous attention to detail during long-distance races.

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Coaching Nepali runners has been fascinating because they break stereotypes and push past what we consider normal human capacity.

He is convinced that a similar competitive spirit, which he describes as an "absolute monster, a beast" during races, resides within many other Nepali runners. Currently, DuBois coaches three Nepalis, including Sunmaya and her sister Ram Maya, while closely monitoring others domestically. He emphasizes that Nepal possesses all the "raw ingredients" for ultra-running success: extensive trails, challenging high-altitude environments, and athletes born and raised in unforgiving terrain, conditions that runners worldwide pay significant amounts to experience.

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Sunmaya is, by far, the best athlete I have ever trained. She takes into account every basic detail required while running for hours.

Drawing lessons from the Philippines' recent surge in producing exceptional trail runners through state investment, DuBois suggests Nepal could benefit from a similar strategic approach. He believes that with the right support and investment, Nepal's naturally gifted athletes can rise to international prominence in ultra-running.

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She looks so quiet and calm off the trails. But once she puts on a race bib and starts a race, she is an absolute monster, a beast.