Seven Days, Seven Provinces, Seven Marathons: What Keeps ‘Gurkha Cheetah’ Tilbikram Running?

Tilbikram Sambahangphe’s running journey has taken him from London’s streets and Nepal’s Himalayan trails to the Great Wall of China and South Africa’s Cape Town. Each destination has presented its own challenges, but one of his most memorable achievements came in his homeland: completing the “777 Challenge”—seven full marathons in seven days, one in each of Nepal’s seven provinces.

Running a full marathon on seven consecutive days demanded both physical stamina and mental resolve. Each finish line marked only a brief pause before the next challenge. Looking back, he considers the experience among the toughest of his life—and one that strengthened his confidence in his own abilities.

Born on 16 Chaitra 2019 BS in Kapyak, Ward 8 of Myanglung Municipality, Tehrathum, the 64-year-old Sambahangphe says: “For me, running means continually challenging myself, testing my abilities and learning something new from every experience.”

That outlook has repeatedly turned the finish line of one race into the beginning of another journey. With 21 full marathons behind him, he is preparing to embrace new challenges in 2027. His goals include participating in HYROX in January and competing in the over-60 age category at a world championship later that year.

Tilbikram’s long-distance running journey did not develop overnight. It has taken decades of dedication, consistency and a determination to expand his capabilities. He served with the British Army’s Gurkhas for nearly two decades, from May 1981 to November 1999, but his running ambitions truly took flight after retirement.

Initially a middle-distance runner, he began his half-marathon journey in Wales in 1989. Since then, he has completed 45 half marathons. Although most were in the United Kingdom, a race in Kosovo in 2000 holds a special place in his memory: it was there that he achieved his personal best.

The year 2014 marked a turning point in his full-marathon journey. After completing his first London Marathon, his enthusiasm for the 42.195-kilometre distance grew, prompting him to give greater priority to long-distance running.

According to Sambahangphe, the 21 full marathons he has completed over the past 12 years include seven London Marathons. He has also completed marathons in Manchester, Dorney Lake and Brighton. Beyond Britain, his running experiences include the Paris, Great Wall of China, Everest and Cape Town marathons.

These races have also opened doors to new places. Meeting runners from different countries, discovering different running cultures and adapting to changing weather and terrain have made each competition a distinct experience, he says.

Alongside his full and half marathons, he has completed more than 40 races over 10 kilometres and more than 50 over five kilometres. Shorter-distance events in Britain, Serbia and Nepal have helped him stay consistently active and encourage others to take up running.

His journey includes memories of victory as well as the satisfaction of crossing finish lines. He participated in the 13-kilometre memorial run held in Ashford, England, in honour of 13 Gurkha Victoria Cross recipients in 2017, 2021 and 2024. Winning on all three occasions, he says, is a particular source of pride.

In September 2025, he accepted another endurance challenge, completing the Gurkha Welfare Trust’s 100-kilometre event as a member of the “Budho Jos 2/81” team. It provided another opportunity to connect his passion for running with charitable involvement.

His interest in testing his endurance extends beyond running. In 2010, he completed a 100-kilometre cycling journey from London to Brighton. He has also participated twice in Basingstoke Big Wheel events around Basingstoke and Winchester. In 1998, he secured a top-five finish in a duathlon in Serbia.

Reflecting on these experiences, Tilbikram places greater importance on the lessons learned than on medals and certificates. He considers patience, discipline, confidence and the ability to persevere through difficult circumstances among the most valuable rewards of running.

He wants to share those lessons with his community. His hope is that friends, relatives and younger generations will embrace regular physical activity and lead active lives suited to their individual abilities.

He has also connected his passion for running with charitable work. Having sought to raise funds for various charitable organisations through running, Tilbikram is now an active committee member of Nepal Run UK.

According to him, money raised through the organisation’s races and other events has supported sports clubs in Nepal, helped develop playing fields and contributed towards hostel accommodation for athletes. His involvement reflects a desire to ensure that athletes have places to train and access to the support they need.

He says he finds particular satisfaction when his own sporting achievements help create opportunities for others.

“Being able to contribute something to society, rather than limiting my running journey to personal achievement, is a major accomplishment for me,” he says.

Tilbikram’s appetite for new challenges remains strong, and he still has goals to fulfil. He continues to train for HYROX competition on the world stage in 2027. He intends to keep participating in running and other sporting challenges for as long as his health and physical condition allow.

For him, growing older is no reason to step back from an active life. Instead, it offers an opportunity to set new goals while understanding his health and capabilities. Nor does he believe everyone needs to run at the same pace. Whether fast or slow, what matters is moving forward within one’s abilities and enjoying the journey.

That consistency connects his half-marathon beginnings in Wales with the streets of London, Nepal’s seven provinces and the trails of Everest. Every race has added another experience and strengthened his desire to take on the next challenge.

In his own words: “The finish line of one race can also be the beginning of something new.”

The author sees Tilbikram as increasingly approaching—and potentially surpassing—the achievements of prominent figures in Nepal’s running history, including Serbia-based Khop Bahadur Gurung, Baikuntha Manandhar and Hari Rokaya. Still running at 64 with the ambition to succeed on the world stage, Tilbikram Sambahangphe could fittingly be described as the “Gurkha Cheetah”.

Now living in Basingstoke, England, he continues to inspire friends in the town and surrounding areas to take up running. May the “Gurkha Cheetah” enjoy continued progress and success in the years ahead.

– Biswasdip Tigela
6 November 2026