Himalayan 100 Mile Stage Race & The Mount Everest Challenge Marathon

Up, Up, Up Into the Himalaya

Adam Rose / 19.10.2014

The finish line was one of joy, relief and requests for booze. Strong booze. Most were not running. As they crossed over, the emotions came thick and fast. I missed the leaders because they moved too fast for our media jeep. The mid pack and later runners, however, crossed the line in front of our cameras, and the jubilation was strong.

The weather had been kind for the most part, which meant overcast, occasional patches of sunshine, and mist swirling up out of the valleys. Good for running. After a 90 minute bus lurch to the starting line, everyone was amped to get moving, and more than a few with trepidations.

The runners went first followed by the walkers. I was so intent on adopting a superior camera position that by the time I’d panned back from runners to walkers, the media jeep had already disappeared. No curses, but I was carrying a backpack laden with laptop, camera gear, sound gear, spare clothing, 2 litres of water and food, and wearing three layers, so I wasn’t prepped for a sudden assault on the steep hill ahead.

With no alternative, I followed in hot pursuit. Taking the odd shortcut, I passed 7 or 8 of the back markers, puffing and sweating under my load.

Two miles later, I thankfully found the jeep at the first water stop, and was able to jump aboard. What was significant was that the back marker positions pretty much held true for the ensuing 22 miles, as they came to appreciate the sadistic steepness and cobbled roughness of the track.

A surprise for all (bar Stefan) was the thick jungle we encountered -bamboo groves, moss and lichen laden hardwoods, dense undergrowth quite different from the alpine images we’d seen on the web. This gradually gave way to alpine flora, and pines ghostly in the fog.

It was spectacular. At one point, photographer Denise was lost for words, shaking her head, stunned by the beauty. The only problem was we kept on stopping to capture runners against this magnificent backdrop, which meant we kept a slow pace.

I was jealous, and every time we came across South African Gareth Pickering, he quipped how busted up I must be to have chosen not to run. True, though the jeep roller coaster was something of an adventure in itself.

The organisation of the aid stations was excellent with boiled potatoes with salt and pepper, bananas, cookies, and water refills. There was also a register at every station to record positions, signed by the runners, with time stamps.

This helped the race officials quickly ascertain the location and speed of the runners, essential for a field that was rapidly becoming spread out. There were even toilet cubicles erected at regular intervals, normal for modern races, but not so simple when everything has to be carried in at snails’ pace along a nasty, sinuous, heinously bumpy jeep track for tens of miles, at altitude.

After the first abrupt climb, the course followed the ridgeline’s every twist and turn, passing through hamlets and army outposts, with Nepal literally a step off the track, to the left.

The route then made a serious drop, regained height, meandered variously, before finishing with a vicious climb a few kilometres to the finish.

24 miles or so under the belt, all the runners bar one completed the stage. The walkers were jeeped in from midpoint, as pre-arranged.

First in was German Gabriel Seiberth at 4hrs 56 mins, followed by Brit Georgia Wood two minutes later - a slim slip of a girl, likely to blow
away in the wind according to some, she freaked everyone out with her speed and strength. Has she gone too hard on the first day? Hopefully not.

South African Dave Jacobson and Colorado native Pat Murphy came in strongly at 5:20, then the others in fits and starts. Without exception, they were stoked to finish. General consensus was that it had been much steeper than expected, with the last climb almost doing some in.

There weren’t any tears, as everyone was chipper, but the trails of drool, wild eyes, and demands for whisky, gin and tonic made it clear that the first day had been prompted a degree of respect.

The day wrapped with an excellent meal conjured out of the rough kitchen, many hugs, and even the odd bottle of local Sikkim beer. It’s only 10pm and everyone else is long asleep. Result!

[Ed. Day one of the race starts at small town of Maneybhanjang (6600 feet) and climbs almost continuously for 24 miles to the camp of Sandakphu at 11,815 feet.]

You can find out more at www.Himalayan.com but there is no live coverage. That is only on SleepMonsters.

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