The Everest Marathon

So of course the first question I’m sure you’re asking, is ‘Wait, there is a marathon at Mount Everest?’ A close second “Who the heck is crazy enough to do this?”

That’s exactly what I thought the first time I read about it. It was a year ago February. I was sitting in my office, with no story assignment, waiting for new software training. Poking around on my computer on Sports Tours International, who I would traveling with to the Tour de France that Summer, I came upon a tab that read “Adventure Marathons.” Of course I clicked through.

Within half a second I knew this was something I had to do. What’s more, I knew the perfect person to do it with me. My friend Denise, marathon runner extraordinaire and my fellow adventure companion over the last few years. Only one question remained. Could I get the time off to embark on this crazy race? You see, the start line to the Everest Marathon isn’t one you just drive up to. Or take the train. You hike there. For ten days. The whole trip out there and back, takes just over three weeks. That’s a heck of a long time to be away from work. As it turns out, the assistant news director at my station is a runner. She ‘gets it.’ As soon as I told her what the time off was for, I was set. Yay!!

Starting at 17,600 ft (5,380 m), the Everest Marathon is the world’s highest race. It starts at Nepal’s Everest Base Camp. To get to EBC, participants must hike 40 miles (65km) from Lukla, the location of the closest airport. While it doesn’t sound far, when you take into account that Lukla is already at 9,400 ft (2,850 m) it’s pretty slow going. There are no roads to EBC; only a narrow trail, a large portion of which hugs the mountainsides of the mighty Himalayas. It’s one that’s shared by hikers, yaks and porters loaded with all of the supplies needed to support not only those seeking to conquer Everest, or indeed just make it to base camp, but to supply all the villages that dot the way up the mountain. There is indeed, only one way up and one way down.

It will take approximately 10 days of hiking 5 to 7 hours a day, for of our (hopefully) merry band of runners to get to the start line of the Everest Marathon. Then, two more days spent at camp, preparing for the race, before the gun goes off. And while I’ve planned for this for several months now, I’m still not sure what to expect. But I do know It will be the adventure of a lifetime and I can’t wait.