Gawa started running at twenty-one in Wangdue. In the beginning, it was just a way to clear his mind, but the hills were steep, the mornings cold, and sometimes he wondered if he could finish. Sangay started at twenty-three in Thimphu, inspired by friends and opportunities in the Army. He was fast but impatient, sometimes giving up too soon. Watching Gawa push through, never quitting, taught Sangay patience. Gawa learned to laugh at his own struggles through Sangay’s energy and humor, turning pain into a shared joke.

Their friendship is built on countless small moments. During training camps, they are roommates, joking about who snores louder, arguing over who finishes noodles faster, and sometimes sharing a blanket when the dorms are cold. Every gesture, big or small, is a thread in the bond they have built.

Their races tell the same story. In the 12th Bhutan International Marathon 2026, Sangay crossed the finish line first with Gawa close behind. In the inaugural Snow Man Race, Gawa came first and Sangay second. Medals do not matter as much as the high-fives, the laughter, and the quiet words of encouragement afterward. Nationally, Gawa has won the Snow Man Race in 2022, the Bhutan International Marathon in 2020, and the Thimphu Half-Marathon in 2019. Sangay has taken first place in the Bhutan Coronation Marathon in 2019 and 2017 and the Laya Run in 2017. Both have represented Bhutan internationally, from the South Asian Senior Athletics Championships to the Asian Cross Country Championships.