Mira Rai: dall'infanzia in Nepal al ruolo di atleta e ambasciatrice ONU

Simonetta Sandri · 26 August 2026

Mira Rai: da guerrigliera ad atleta

A fabulous world that, in reality, was not that way at all in the beginning. At least until the wheel started turning in the right direction, turning a dream into reality.

Mira Rai (born 1988) is today a Nepalese ultramarathon runner, an international elite athlete in trail running and skyrunning, and a former Maoist guerrilla. From her homeland in Nepal to her appointment as Ambassador for the United Nations Mountain Partnership, her story represents a powerful symbol of social redemption, women's empowerment, and environmental protection. A story of courage and empowerment, for herself and others.

Biography and beginnings: youth in rural Nepal

Mira Rai's story begins in Koshi Province, in the remote village of Bhojpur (eastern Nepal). Raised in an isolated environment lacking basic infrastructure, Mira was forced to drop out of school at just 12 years old to support her family, carrying water, firewood, and goods along mountain paths every day.

At age 14, to escape a future devoid of prospects, she joined the Maoist guerrillas. With the end of the civil war and the subsequent demobilization of minors, she returned to civilian life and moved to Kathmandu to seek work and practice sports.

Mira's athletic breakthrough: her trail running debut

Mira Rai's competitive career began by chance in Kathmandu when, during a training session in the capital's hills, she was invited to participate in the 2014 Himalayan Outdoor Festival.

• The debut: She entered and won the 50 km trail running race without any specific preparation or technical gear.
• The key encounter: That same year, the founder of Trail Running Nepal, Richard Bull, noticed her talent and introduced her to the international competitive circuit.

From that moment on, the athlete racked up successes worldwide, forging deep ties with the Italian mountain sports community (including her friendship with Tite Togni, creator of Yoga X Runners, and her strong bond with the Dolomites).

Social commitment: the birth of the Mira Rai Initiative

In 2016, following an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Mira Rai founded the Mira Rai Initiative. The project aims to support and guide young female athletes from rural Nepal through:

• High-level athletic training in trail running;
• Educational support and English language courses;
• Pathways to mountain-related professions, such as trekking guides and professional athletes.

Through the Training Center in Kathmandu, the initiative has already supported dozens of young women. Despite returning to competition with excellent results (a victory at the Salomon Ben Nevis Ultra, and podium finishes at the Hong Kong 100, the Lavaredo Ultra Trail, and the Trofeo Kima), promoting gender equality remains her primary mission.

When I was child, I used to walk for up to two days carrying heavy loads of rice to market. Today I do something similar, but with suitable shoes and no weight on my shoulders. Running is life and opportunity. Mira Rai

Accolades and role as UN mountain Ambassador

Her achievements earned her the title of National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2017 and the Asia Game Changer Award in New York in 2018.

Her story was also featured in the documentary Mira, directed by Lloyd Belcher.

Today, Mira Rai serves as an Ambassador for the United Nations Mountain Partnership, the global alliance dedicated to safeguarding mountain ecosystems and improving the living conditions of local populations.

The mountains are my life, and today they are among the most fragile environments, threatened by climate change. Nature suffers in silence. The message I want to leave is simple: let's stand together, help each other explore the world, and do what you love in life. Mira Rai

To learn more about trail running and skyrunning...

What is trail running?

It is a running discipline that takes place on natural routes within the outdoors, avoiding asphalt and paved roads.

Running occurs primarily on mountain paths, in forests and on hills, along mule tracks and across deserts, or over rocky and sandy terrain. Key characteristics include:

• Uneven terrain: Unlike road running, the surface is irregular and features natural obstacles such as roots, rocks, mud, grass, and stream crossings.
• Elevation change: Runs often include challenging ascents and descents that require constant pace adjustments and engage muscles differently than running on flat ground.
• Specialized gear: Trail shoes with lugged soles are used to ensure grip on slippery surfaces and provide upper-foot protection; backpacks or vests are used to carry water, food, and safety equipment (waterproof jacket, emergency thermal blanket).
• Energy management: On steeper climbs, it is common to alternate running with power hiking, pushing off with the legs or using trekking poles to conserve energy.

Types of trail running races

Trail running encompasses various distances and difficulty levels:

• Short trail: Up to 20–25 km; accessible even to those coming from a road running background.
• Medium/long trail: Between 20 km and 42 km, with significant elevation gain.
• Ultra-trail: Any race longer than 42 km (often 50 km, 100 km, or 100 miles), requiring extensive physical and mental preparation.

And what about skyrunning (literally "running in the sky")?

It is an extreme, highly technical form of mountain running that takes place at high altitudes over rugged, challenging alpine terrain.

Key characteristics

• Runners race above 2,000 meters in altitude, summiting peaks and traversing narrow ridges.
• The course often requires using hands for rock scrambling, navigating sections equipped with chains or fixed ropes, and crossing snowfields. The technical difficulty goes beyond standard athletic running, bordering on light-and-fast mountaineering.
• Average gradients often exceed 20%, and in some sections, they can reach as high as 30–40%.

Official Skyrunning disciplines

Regulated by the International Skyrunning Federation, the sport is primarily divided into:

• Vertical Kilometer (VK): Short but grueling races featuring 1,000 meters of elevation gain over a horizontal distance of less than 5 km.
• SkyRace / SkyMarathon: Alpine courses covering distances between 20 km and 45 km, featuring steep elevation gains (at least 1,300 m for SkyRaces, over 2,000 m for Marathons).
• SkyUltra: Extreme high-altitude races exceeding 50 km with massive elevation gains.

Photos Courtesy Mira Rai