Everest Marathon

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Everest Marathon
Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon Logo.jpg
Everest Marathon Logo
DateMay 29
LocationEverest Base Camp, ending in Namche Bazar
Event typeTrail
Distance Marathon, Half-Marathon and Ultramarathon
Established1985;36 years ago (1985)
Official site www.everestmarathon.com

Everest Marathon is an annual marathon event, held in the district of Solukhumbu, Nepal, around the vicinity of Mount Everest in May. With its starting point at 5364m above the sea level, the marathon is considered to be one of the highest and toughest races in the world. The marathon starts at the Mt. Everest Base Camp, and moves through the traditionally used high Sherpa trails of Khumbu Valley.

Contents

The event is officially approved and recognized by the Government of Nepal [1] as part of its annual tourism calendar. In recognition of the first successful ascent of the highest peak in the world by the duo of Late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on 29 May 1953, this event was officially named the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon.

The marathon includes three different categories for its participants, which include a 60km extreme ultramarathon race, a 42km full marathon race and a 21km Half Marathon race.

History

The event was originally pioneered by [(Jan Turner)] and Tony Hunt in 1985. It was the organised in conjunction with Bufo Ventures with Jan Turner as Race Director in 1987 and 1989. It was organised biannually until 2003 when a rival event was organised under the management of Himalayan Expeditions and was promoted by the Nepal Tourism Board. The first edition of their marathon was held on 19 May 2003 organised on the occasion of 50th anniversary of climbing of Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary by the Ministry of Tourism of Nepal under the management of a Nepal based travel company Himalayan Expeditions [2] headed by tourism professional Bikram Pandey. The first Event Director of this event was Sarad Pradhan, a tourism and media professional. Since then, the event has been organized annually by the company, with the official approval from the Nepal Government and the Nepal Tourism Board. First it was organised as Golden Jubilee Everest Marathon and from 2004 onward it has been organised as Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon. On 27 November 1987, the Nepal Government officially released a stamp in recognition of the marathon and repeated this accolade again in 2014. [3]

The first version of this event continued under the title, The Original Everest Marathon [4] is also held in the same region. This event is organized by a British charity group with Gorakhshep (5212m) as the starting point. This marathon is usually organized around the Autumn months of October or November.


Race

The Everest Marathon is open to runners aged 18 or above from all over the world, as long as they fulfill a certain set of criteria. A medical checkup certificate from authorized health professionals that certifies the runner's ability to withstand high altitude conditions is mandatory while submitting the application form. Considering the high altitude conditions of the race, runners are also advised by the organizers to take a minimum of 1-5 days for acclimatization. All runners are also compulsorily required to have valid health insurance before participation. The marathon has a participation limit of around 250 runners across all categories.

Race day

The race is traditionally held on 29 May every year since its inception. However, in 2015, the race was postponed to early October after the devastating Nepal Earthquake. [5]

Starting times

The start timing for the marathon differ according to each category. The ultramarathon starts at 6:00AM, while the full marathon starts at 7:00AM and finally the half marathon starts at 8:00AM.

Course

Depending upon the category, the race has different starting points. The starting point for the full marathon and the extreme ultra-marathon category is the Khumbu Icefall, which lies at an altitude 5356m above sea level. The half-marathon starts from Dingboche which lies at an altitude of 4359m. [6]

Extreme ultra marathon

The longest route in the event is the extreme ultra marathon, which moves through the following route:

Khumbu Icefall (0km-5356m) → Gorakhshep (4.6km-5170m) → Lobuche (9.6km-4940m) → Thukla (12.3km-4612m) → Dingboche (17.3km-4395m) → Pangboche (23.3km-4012m) → Phortse (29.3km-3904m) → Nha la (39.3km-4381m) → Machhermo (41.4km-4413m) → Phortse Tenga (45.9km-4059m) → Mongla (50.4km-3980) → Kyanjuma (55.4km-3650m) → Namche (60km-3550m)

Full marathon

The most popular category in the event is the full marathon, which moves through the following route

Khumbu Icefall (0km-5356m) → Gorakhshep (4.6km-5170m) → Lobuche (9.6km-4940m) → Thukla (12.3km-4612m) → Dingboche (17.3km-4395m) → Bibre Loop(21.5km-4349m) → Pangboche (27.5km-4012m) → Tengboche (32.6km-3868m) → Laubisasa (36.1km-3439m) → Kyanjuma (37.6km-3650m) → Namche (42.195km-3550m)

Half marathon

The half-marathon even is an event exclusive only for non-Nepali nationals, which moves through the following route

Dingboche (0km-4395m) → Pangboche (7km-4012m) → Tengboche (11.5km-3868m) → Laubisasa (15km-3439m) → Kyanjuma (16.5km-3650m) → Namche (21-km-3550m)

Notable features

Acclimatization

The Everest Marathon is a high-altitude race held in a region with low atmospheric pressure and oxygen levels, with some parts covered by snow all year round. Thus, to avoid health risks like altitude sickness, snow blindness and cold allergy, runners often require some days for acclimatization in the race. Usually, participants are advised by the event organizers to stay around the region for a few days or even hike towards the starting point from Lukla. Some agencies even prefer the participants spending up to 7 days for preparation of the trip.

Participation number limits and ecologically conscious practices

To protect the fragile natural ecosystem around the Everest region lying within the borders of the Sagarmatha National Park, the number of participants are capped so as to prevent environmental problems arising from overcrowding. Typically, organizers cap the numbers at around 250 every year. The organizers also have integrated a concept making Everest Marathon a Green Event by applying waste minimization, as well as implementing clean waste disposal practices.

Off-Road Trail

The Everest Marathon route consists entirely of off-road non-tarmac surfaces. Runners will need to navigate through natural trails, stone trails, and steps, and sometimes even snowy and muddy trails. Thus, the route requires special clothing gears, and equipment for navigating the trails.

Elevation drop

The total elevation drop between the start and finish points can be as high as 1620m. The lowest point in the route is at Laubisasa, which is located 3439m above sea level.

Related Research Articles

Mount Everest Earths highest mountain, part of the Himalaya between Nepal and Tibet

Mount Everest is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation of 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft) was most recently established in 2020 by the Nepali and Chinese authorities.

Sherpa is one of the Tibetan ethnic groups native to the most mountainous regions of Nepal, Tingri County and the Himalayas. The term sherpa or sherwa derives from the Sherpa language words ཤར shar ("east") and པ pa ("people"), which refer to their geographical origin of eastern Tibet.

Namche Bazaar Neighborhood in Solukhumbu District, Province No. 1, Nepal

Namche Bazaar is a town in Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu District of Province No. 1 of north-eastern Nepal. It is located within the Khumbu area at 3,440 metres (11,286 ft) at its low point, populating the sides of a hill. Most Sherpa who are in the tourism business are from the Namche area. Namche is the main trading center and hub for the Khumbu region with many Nepalese officials, a police check, post, a bank and a beauty salon.

Lukla town in Province No. 1, Nepal

Lukla is a small town in the Khumbu Pasanglhamu rural municipality of the Solukhumbu District in the Province No. 1 of north-eastern Nepal. Situated at 2,860 metres (9,383 ft), it is a popular place for visitors to the Himalayas near Mount Everest to arrive. Although Lukla means place with many goats and sheep, few are found in the area nowadays.

Tengboche Place in Province No. 1, Nepal

Tengboche is a village in Khumbu Pasanglhamu rural municipality in the Khumbu subregion of Province No. 1 in Nepal, located at 3,867 metres (12,687 ft). In the village is an important Buddhist monastery, Tengboche Monastery, which is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region. The structure was built in 1923. In 1934, it was destroyed by an earthquake but subsequently rebuilt. It was destroyed again by a fire in 1989, and again rebuilt with the help of volunteers and the provision of foreign aid. Tengboche has a panoramic view of the Himalayan mountains, including the well-known peaks of Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku. Tenzing Norgay, the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, was born in the area in the village of Thani and was once sent to Tengboche Monastery to be a monk.

Khumbu Glacier

The Khumbu Glacier is located in the Khumbu region of northeastern Nepal between Mount Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. With elevations of 4,900 m (16,100 ft) at its terminus to 7,600 m (24,900 ft) at its source, it is the world's highest glacier. The Khumbu Glacier is followed for the final part of the trail to one of the Everest Base Camps. The start of the glacier is in the Western Cwm near Everest. The glacier has a large icefall, the Khumbu Icefall, at the west end of the lower Western Cwm. This icefall is the first major obstacle—and among the more dangerous—on the standard south col route to the Everest summit. It is also the largest glacier of Nepal.

Khumbu Icefall Glacier in Nepal

The Khumbu Icefall is located at the head of the Khumbu Glacier and the foot of the Western Cwm, which lies at an altitude of 5,486 metres (17,999 ft) on the Nepali slopes of Mount Everest, not far above Base Camp and southwest of the summit. The icefall is considered one of the most dangerous stages of the South Col route to Everest's summit.

Gorakshep Place

Gorak shep or Gorakshep is a small settlement that sits on the edge of a frozen lakebed covered with sand in Nepal with the same name. It is found at an elevation of 5,164 metres (16,942 ft) elevation, near Mount Everest. The village is not inhabited year-round.

Solukhumbu District District in Province No. 1, Nepal

Solukhumbu District (Nepali: सोलुखुम्बु जिल्ला [solukʰumbu], Sherpa: ཤར་ཁུམ་བུ་རྫོང་ཁ།, Wylie: shar khum bu dzong kha) is one of 14 districts of Province No. 1 of eastern Nepal. As the name suggests, it consists of the subregions Solu and Khumbu.

Dingboche Place in Province No. 1, Nepal

Dingboche (दिङबोचे) 27°53′N86°49′E is a Sherpa village in the Khumbu region of north eastern Nepal in the Chukhung Valley. Its population was estimated at approximately 200 in 2011. It is situated at an altitude of 4,410 metres (14,470 ft).

Thame, Nepal Village in Province No. 1, Nepal

Thame and its neighbouring Thameteng are small Sherpa villages in Namche VDC of the Solukhumbu District in Nepal. These were the last year-round villages on the salt trading route that existed between Tibet, Nepal and India. It is the home to many famous Sherpa mountaineers, including Apa Sherpa.

Everest base camps Staging areas for mountaineering activities on Mount Everest

There are two base camps on Mount Everest, on opposite sides of the mountains: South Base Camp is in Nepal at an altitude of 5,364 metres (17,598 ft), while North Base Camp is in Tibet, China at 5,150 metres (16,900 ft).

Tengboche Monastery

Tengboche Monastery, also known as Dawa Choling Gompa, in the Tengboche village in Khumjung in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Sherpa community. Situated at 3,867 metres (12,687 ft), the monastery is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region of Nepal. It was built in 1916 by Lama Gulu with strong links to its mother monastery known as the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet. In 1934, it was destroyed by an earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt. In 1989, it was destroyed for a second time by a fire and then rebuilt with the help of volunteers and international assistance.

Great Himalaya Trail Long-distance hiking trail

The Great Himalaya Trail is a route across the Himalayas from east to west. The original concept of the trail was to establish a single long distance trekking trail from the east end to the west end of Nepal that includes a total of roughly 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi) of path. There is a proposed trail of more than 4,500 kilometres (2,800 mi) stretching the length of the Greater Himalaya range from Nanga Parbat in Pakistan to Namche Barwa in Tibet thus passing through, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Although an actual continuous route is currently only a concept, if completed it would be the longest and highest alpine hiking track in the world.

1952 Swiss Mount Everest expedition

Led by Edouard Wyss-Dunant, the 1952 Swiss Mount Everest expedition saw Raymond Lambert and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reach a height of about 8,595 metres (28,199 ft) on the southeast ridge, setting a new climbing altitude record, opening up a new route to Mount Everest and paving the way for further successes by other expeditions.

Jorsale

Jorsale is a small village in the Khumbu region of Nepal. It lies in the west side of the Dudh Kosi river, just north of Monjo and south of Namche Bazaar, at an altitude of 2,740 m,

1953 British Mount Everest expedition First successful ascent of Mount Everest

The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. Led by Colonel John Hunt, it was organised and financed by the Joint Himalayan Committee. News of the expedition's success reached London in time to be released on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, on the 2nd of June that year.

After World War II, with Tibet closing its borders and Nepal becoming considerably more open, Mount Everest reconnaissance from Nepal became possible for the first time culminating in the successful ascent of 1953. In 1950 there was a highly informal trek to what was to become Everest Base Camp and photographs were taken of a possible route ahead. Next year the 1951 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition reconnoitred various possible routes to Mount Everest from the south and the only one they considered feasible was the one via the Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm and South Col. In 1952, while the Swiss were making an attempt on the summit that nearly succeeded; the 1952 British Cho Oyu expedition practised high-altitude Himalayan techniques on Cho Oyu, nearby to the west.

The 1951 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition ran between 27 August 1951 and 21 November 1951 with Eric Shipton as leader.

Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality Gaunpalika in Province No. 1, Nepal

Khumbu Pasanglhamu is a rural municipality (Gaunpalika) out of 7 rural municipalities located at Solukhumbu district of Province No. 1 of Nepal. Khumjung, Namche & Jubing and Chaurikharka were incorporated while creating it. It has the total population of 9,133 according to the 2011 Nepal census and area of 1,539.11 square kilometres (594.25 sq mi). The admin centre of this gaunpalika is that of the Chaurikharka.

References

  1. Nepal, Naturally. "Everest Marathon". Naturally Nepal. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. "HimEX NEPAL : HIMALAYA Expeditions : The Adventure Sports Holidays Agency of Nepal". www.himexnepal.com. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  3. "Nepal 2014 18th Tenzing – Hillary Everest Marathon Stamp.| Phila Art". www.phila-art.com. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  4. "Original Everest Marathon". www.originaleverestmarathon.com. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  5. "Runners complete Everest marathon". BBC News. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  6. "everest-marathon-ultramarathon-elevation-chart-2". Everest Marathon. Retrieved 23 September 2019.