The Everest Marathon
Frost Smashes Everest Marathon Record
Rob Howard / 05.12.2009
The breaking news is that UK based kiwi Anna Frost, who runs for the Saab Salomon team, smashed the women's record, setting a time of 4.35.04 and taking 6th place overall. Her time knocked an astonishing 27 minutes off the previous record set by her team mate, Angela Mudge in the last race in 2007.
Frost spent time in the region with companion Mat Gilbert and the Welsh runner, who was not planning to run managed to gain a place in the race replacing an athlete who was taken ill with a virus and donned his kit to finish 8th in the impressive time of 4:55. Their extra preparation and acclimatisation obviously paid huge dividends as the pair were the top two runners from outside Nepal.
The top 5 places went to Nepalese male athletes, which was no surprise as for some years now they have dominated the top positions. This year however it was not Sherpas taking the top positions but Rai runners, led by 29 year old Deepak Raj Rai, who took the top spot with a time of 3.59.31 ... racing down into Namche to just beat the 4 hour mark. Only 6 other athletes have ever completed the course in under 4 hours and his performance puts him in 6th place on the all-time list for the race. Ray Brown's Veterans record of 4.28.38 remains unchallenged, with this year's top veteran, Dan Brillon of the USA, finishing in 10th place in 5.03.04.
The race, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the marathon with the highest start line in the world, started at an altitude of 5184m at Gorak Shep, beside the last huts before Everest Base Camp. The 26.2 mile race finished at Namche Bazaar, the principal town of the Khumbu region and is run to raise funds for The Everest Marathon Fund, which supports ground level projects in Nepal. When this year's money is distributed the total raised will exceed £500,000.
We've posted the full results alongside this report and more reports, accounts and photos will follow soon.
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