Snail Trail is Nepal’s first, only, longest-running and favorite series of recreational races that take place every month or two on Kathmandu’s trails and suburbs. You have several distances to choose from 21Km, 12Km, 6Km and 3Km. Snail Trail sees around 200 people, of different ages, nationalities and background. While there are winners (108 of them, by distance, gender and age category), this is purely a fun day out with family and friends. All kids below 12 years old get a finisher’s medal. We have a generous cut-off time of all distances, which means you can strut at a comfortable pace. 21K is designed for long distance runners and not open for walkers. 6K and 12K are for joggers and brisk hikers. 2K is designed for small kids and their parents. Note that the route is a trail, and not a flat walk in a park. Snail Trail is a great way to spend a Saturday with your loved ones in a fun, safe way while enjoying beautiful hills of Kathmandu valley. All you need is moderate fitness, outdoor shoes and a great attitude – and you’re all good to go!

OPEN TO EVERYONE

Everyone is welcome! Across all ages, background and fitness levels. People from all walks of life come to enjoy this fun trail event.

ALL EQUALS

All participants - regardless of nationality, gender or financial standing - are treated and priced the same. Kids below 18 get a handsome discount.

SEVERAL DISTANCES

You can choose from: 21K, 12K, 6K and 3K. These are in a circuit, so start and finish are at the same spot.

HIKE UP 12K, 6K AND 3K

Hiking is totally cool for all distances except 21K. We have guides to help you on trails. Cut off time is 4 hours, which is plenty.

WE’RE ALL WINNERS

Winners are by eight age categories, gender and distances; and overalls.

MINI-ME!

All kids 12 years old and below get a medal. We want to get kids excited about outdoors. Look at them – all happy and jumpy!

DONE BY AFTERNOON

The Series is wrapped up by 4pm or so. Award ceremony is at 1pm, and you can hand around for delicious food, drinks and music.

FOOD AND SNACKS

Fresh fruits and recovery snack are provided at the finish. Sandwiches, Newari food and bakery are available for purchase.

A STONE’S THROW AWAY

Escape the chaos and head out to the greens in valley outskirts. The venues are normally 30mins drive from Ring Road.

COMPREHENSIVE INFO

Full race brief including direction, schedule, map, startlist, notes are carefully detailed on the website. Little to no detail spared.

REMINDER EMAILS

No sweat if you can’t remember when the next event is. You get a reminder email a few days before regular deadlines.

RESPONSIVE

Instant reply to your queries and requests online, via phone or in person. In fact, we are known to be quite chatty. Blame the coffee.

TRAIL MARKINGS

Proper markings (ribbons and spray) along the way will guide you through the trails and back to finish. Each distance will be marked with different colors. Just follow the ribbons!

LEAVE NO TRACE

Trash generated from the event is minimized, and properly disposed or given for recycling. We prohibit trail littering.

FEEDBACK

We nudge you for feedback every so often and make tweaks to improve your trail experience.

LIKE CLOCKWORK

We take logistics very seriously and have devised rigorous operational workflow to ensure the event goes as smooth as possible.

PHOTOS AND RESULTS

Our trail photographers do an amazing job of capturing action and emotion. Hundreds of photos (and results) are uploaded the same day.

POSITIVE REVIEWS

We regularly receive positive feedback for Snail Trail Series. Thanks for showering us with your support and sweat.

JAMMIN’

We have a playlist of handpicked cool, upbeat songs. Give your legs some more work and bust some moves to top off the day.

BRAGGING RIGHTS

Make your friends jealous – brag about your super incredible day strutting about awesome trails!

Next Event

Next event is #X TBA on October 12, 2024.

Please go through through the race page in detail before signing up. In very short i) Fill up the online form if you haven’t already, ii) Pay at a payment spot, and iii) Show up on time. The registration process and all important information is comprehensively detailed on race page above.



General

Please email run@snailtrailseries.com or WhatsApp Anuj at +9779801151533.

Yes. We needed a cooler and catchier name.

It is a race, but you can walk the whole way.

Though it’s a race (with winners in several age categories), you can hike the whole way at a very comfortable pace. A generous cut-off time of 4hrs is provided for 10Km distance, which means you could walk the route. We have hiking guides trailing the race to assist you. No picnicking though!

With two distances, 15Km runners would have to overtake 7Km walkers, not ideal on parts where the trails are narrow or steep. In order to avoid trail congestion and make it safer for everyone, we now have 10Km (along with the usual Kids 3Km distance).



Registration, Deadlines and Payment

Yes, very. Tight deadlines have been the single most important factor for smooth operations the Series. It is a crucial for us to know who and how many are participating, in order to arrange bibs, timekeeping, food, safety, bus service and punctual start of the race.

To be able to serve you better and provide a quality experience, we have set strict deadlines.

Participants in Kathmandu Valley have to visit one of the race registration spots and pay in full.

Last day to register and pay is Wednesday before the event for regular signups. Walk-in fees are double the regular fees.

If you feel you can’t make time to register by deadline, please have someone do it on your behalf.

No, we cannot make exceptions. We’d love to have you on the event, but also need to ensure smooth operations. So please have a friend register for you.

If you miss the deadline, walk-in fees will be applicable on race day. We cannot take registrations on Thursday and Friday. Total nightmare.

Please call us at 9801151533/9808594623 (or email us at run@ktmtrailraceseries.com) if you wish to defer your participation in the race you have signed up for.

The payment is non-transferable and non-refundable (in theory). However, you may defer your participation for the immediate next edition of the series for 50% additional charge. The payment will be non-refundable if you cannot make it to the next race and it is non-transferable to further races.



Season Pass

No. Unfortunately, we’re phasing out Season Pass. Given the uncertainties we’ve decided to publish Series dates for three months at a time. All existing Season Pass fees will be refunded.



Race Eligibility and Preparation

The race is designed for newcomers, beginners and experienced runners alike. To help you prepare, we have regular Trail Mob practice (short) runs and Chicken Rim jogs/brisk hikes. There are non-competitive practice runs that take place almost every weekend, so even if you’ve never run or raced before, you are more than welcome to join these group runs. Or just show up at the race. The cut-off time is generous, and even if you walk the whole way, you’ll be done in a few hours.

Yes – a waiver/consent form needs to be signed by a legal guardian. We crosscheck this information. Children below the age of 11 need to be accompanied by a guardian throughout the race.

Don’t worry, when you need to know, we will let you know. Some things you can be certain you’ll want/need is a good ruck, something you can be comfortable carrying for at least 4 hours. The race is self-supported – which means you’ll need to carry water, electrolytes and other hydration sources/diet with you on the trails. There are water stations on the way, but make sure you carry plenty on you.

Please consult with your doctor before signing up for the race. Do let the organizers know of your medical condition and requirements beforehand. Do not push yourself and participate only if you are physically and mentally ready.



On Race Day

Yes, we have designated photographers and videographers covering the race. Photos will be uploaded on the website and Snail Trail Series’ Facebook page.

Please download them from our Facebook page.

Yes. We have provision to keep your bags. However, we do not take responsibility for loss or theft. A good idea on running races is to pack light and bring only those things you need while running.

Please inform one of the race crews immediately. They will note down your bib number and you may head home. Our team will be at the finishline until all runners have been tallied and accounted for.

You will be required to fuel yourself, trail events are partly self-supported, meaning you feed and hydrate yourself with no outside assistance. Bring enough food to endure the event. We provide recovery food at the finish. However, you should let the organizers know if you are allergic to any food.

No harm in bringing extra food. Your race organizers are gladly accepting leftovers.

Little rain or shine, the race is on. Bring a zip lock or a plastic bag to keep all your belongings safe and dry. If there’s heavy rain in forecast, the event will be postponed. Full refund will be provided.

Some parts of the trails go along the woods, so while there certainly are animals lurking in the jungles, there is very little likelihood that they will come out in broad daylight, especially when hundreds of people are running on the trail! That said, do stay alert and be prepared.



Sponsorship

We are holding off sponsorships and tie-ups until our handsome, nerdy computer monkey sorts out the new system, web- and mobile-based apps.