Destination Story
Conquering the mother of all marathons
Nepalese trek leader Phu Dorjee is having a well-earned break before heading back out on the trail with Peregrine Adventure’s clients after having competed in not one, but two Himalayan marathons in a month. In early May, Dorjee tested the physical capacity of the human body to its limits during the annual 10-day Annapurna Mandala Marathon. He won the race in a superhuman time of 45 hours, 9 minutes and 35 seconds, with the closest of the other 36 competitors more than seven hours behind him. To put his achievement into perspective, to complete the same distance an average trekker would need over five grueling weeks, crossing two serious 5000 metre plus passes along the way.
Inspired by his victory, Dorjee donned his running shoes again only weeks later, crossing the line ninth out of the 117 runners competing in the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon. He admitted before the race that he was not as confident over ‘shorter distances’ - if that is what a 42km race can ever be called. He ran from Everest Base Camp at 5356m (17,149 feet) to the Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar at 3446m (11,300 feet) in a mere 4 hours and 27 minutes, a distance that trekkers usually take a few days to cover.
The Annapurna Mandala Marathon is the highest stage race in the world, first ever above 5000 metres. It takes place along the famous Annapurna circuit trekking route, covers more than 300 kilometers, between 800 to 5,400 meters in altitude and exposes competitors to temperature variations of between 20-30 degrees Celsius. The 2007 route took Dorjee around Mt Manaslu, up to Nar, into Manang and over the Tilicho Pass, before finishing at Jomsom.
The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon commemorates the historical ascent of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. Although the course is mostly down hill, there are two steep uphill sections. The competitors face considerable exposure to the elements, including snow and ice, along much of the route. Road marathon experience is simply not sufficient to attempt a race of this kind and runners must be equipped with the right sort of gear to handle the conditions at very high speed.
For those interested in a less speedy adventure, Peregrine’s Nar Phu & Tilicho Lake trek crosses the tracks of the Annapurna Mandala Marathon route, initially following the well-known Annapurna Circuit as far as Koto before heading into the previously restricted wilds of the Nar Khola Valley. A number of days are spent exploring the region with tremendous views of the snowy peak of Himalchuli (7,893m) dominating the skyline and Manaslu (8,156m), Peak 29 (7,541m) and Lamjung (6,986m) opening out on the horizon. The trek then rejoins the Annapurna Circuit, near Manang, from where it follows a little-used route that leads to one of the world’s highest lakes, the massive glacial Tilicho Lake (4,949m) and the Meso Kanto Pass (5089m) linking the Manang and Kali Ghandaki Valleys. The crossing of this pass offers a more challenging and exciting alternative to the popular Thorong La Pass on the Annapurna Circuit.
As for Dorjee, he already has his sights set even higher – competing in the 1000km Trans Himalayan race in 2008, a distance he says he feels more comfortable with! Whatever the outcome, there is no doubt that his achievements thus far make the standard 42.5km marathon along city streets look like a walk in the park. Peregrine is very proud of Dorjee but may need to ask him to slow down when leading treks in the Himalaya for fear his clients simply won’t be able to keep up!
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