Himalayan 100 Mile Stage Race
Himalayan Runners High
Rob Howard / 31.10.2012
A group of international ultra runners are currently making their way into the Himalayan foothills near Darjeeling, India for the race of a lifetime – the Himalayan 100 mile stage race. The event is a 5 day stage race which includes as stage 3 The Himalayan Challenge Marathon, and takes runners up to an altitude of almost 12,000 feet beneath the worlds 3rd highest peak, Mount Kanchenjunga.
The trip is organised by Delhi based company, Himalayan Run and Trek, under the leadership of C.S. Pandey, the Race Director. This year a group of 67 runners and journalists are taking part and they have travelled from France, USA, Australia, South Africa, Ecuador, Argentina, UK, New Zealand, Canada, Germany and Italy to take part. (The largest group comes from the UK.)
The runners have travelled from Delhi to the airport of Bagdogra and assembled in the town of Mirik near to Darjeeling, before moving to the start for a first day which took them steeply uphill through the forests to the camping spot of Sandakphu at a height of 11,929 ft (3636m). This is situated on the edge of the Singalila National Park and on the border between India and Nepal, and racers camp here for two nights giving them a chance to acclimatise and enjoy a mountain panorama which takes in the Everest and Kanchenjuna ranges and includes 4 of the world’s 5 highest peaks.
Today is the high point of the race, the Himalayan Challenge Marathon, when the runners race along the Singalila ridge, beneath the mountain panorama all the way, before a steep descent to the village of Rimbik warmth where they can enjoy the warmth and tropical climate of the valley after the cold conditions at altitude. The race programme finishes with two road running stages as the runners descend back to the start point.
SleepMonsters’ International Editor Anne-Marie Dunhill is travelling with the race and we’ll have full reports and pictures shortly.
You can find out more about the race at http://www.himalayan.com.
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