Himalayan 100 Mile Stage Race & The Mount Everest Challenge Marathon

Day 5: Bagpipes, Curries and Completion

Adam Rose / 24.10.2014

Day 5. The final bit. 17 miles of tarmac, up through a major pine forest, a brief flat section on top, then a long, gradual descent to the finish through bamboo groves and jungly stuff, with a short climb in the middle. The end was exactly where we started, back in Maney Bhanjyang.

The view on top was stunning, with runners framed by Mr Kanchenjunga and co tantalisingly close. If one didn’t know the geography, one would assume this was the closest one had gotten to them peaks, but it was just some wierd optical illusion.

For once, Gabriel Seiberth was not in front. Suffering from a stomach complaint, hardly eating, he hovered around 4th and 5th place for most of the stage. Instead, David Jacobson put foot to metal and led from start to finish, with Ignacio Jurado once again forced to play catch up.

As each runner entered the small town at the finish, they found themselves running down a road lined by small school children waving flags, as a Nepalese cacophony was belted out by a band, with centre stage held by the bag pipes. Scottish he did not look, but he knew how to wail that thar tune!

The weather was amazing again (surprise!), cloudless, and as runners broke the finishing tape, they were unanimous in their appreciation of the conditions. Moreover, they were ecstatic to have completed a tough five days, most hardly able to believe it was all over.

Stefan Schlett was his usual superman self, vaulting the tape, then disappearing beyond the crowd without a word or a pause. He stopped maybe a hundred yards down, and proceeded to belt out 50 press-ups, cracked rib and all! His explanation afterwards was that he’d spent 5 days exercising his lower body, so he needed to get the press-ups in to balance things out. A packet of extra….

Once all but one had finished, we retired to the village hall for some curry calories and beer, and to wait for Henry to make his appearance. A final gesture, and emotional for some, was to present the same school children with stationery supplies donated by the runners. Living in these remote villages is harsh, and it was a touching response to the warmth and generosity shown towards us ‘crazy people’ by the locals. Henry completed the stage in 5:18, as bubbly and chirpy as ever.

Stage 5 results are as follows:

Men:

David Jacobson (RSA, 2:40)
Ignacio Jurado (Spain, 2:46)
Juan Galvez (El Salvador, 2:47)
Gabriel Seiberth (Germany, 2:48)

Women:

Sonya Braun (Germany, 3:08)

Dawn Long (USA, 3:26)
Bryony McCormick (RSA, 3:28)

Once back in Mirik, a final prizegiving and feast took place, with local dignitaries and press in attendance. Mr Pandey made an emotional speech, and congratulated the winners.

Final positions for the Himalayan 100 Mile Stage Race 2014 are:

Men:

Gabriel Seiberth (Germany, 17:59)
David Jacobson (RSA, 19:21)
Stefan Schlett (Germany, 19:56)

Women:

Sonya Braun (Germany, 22:56)
Bryony McCormick (RSA, 24:12)
Dawn Long (USA, 26:25)

You can find out all about the Himalayan 100 Mile Stage race at www.himalayan.com