Only the most adventurous attempt to walk The Great Himalayan Trail (GHT), even fewer dare to run all of its 1,800km from one end of Nepal to another. And it is not just the horizontal distance – the trail is a vertical roller coaster from 1,500m to 5,600m. This week, 44 international and Nepali runners are joining The Great Himalayan Race that roughly follows the GHT in a 51-stage hyper-marathon that will take nearly two months.&nbsp; The Great Himalayan Race was first staged in 2017, and pushes the mind and body to absolute limits in a one of the hardest endurance tests in the world of sports.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120424_94dc99ebf4b70195fb6ac7bb062573d1716951321a49b9c223f6d9dad6e2a143.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240404120424_94dc99ebf4b70195fb6ac7bb062573d1716951321a49b9c223f6d9dad6e2a143" data-rendition-name="original" width="5028" height="3360" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Runners carry heavy backpacks in which they food, sleeping bags, medical equipment, and jackets</figcaption> </figure>  What makes this race special is that every step of the way, they will have sunset and sunrise views that transform the snow peaks into purple and gold. The runners will be passing sacred, isolated Himalayan valleys rich in heritage.&nbsp; The particpants arrived in Kathmandu this week, and will fly out to Nepalganj and Simikot and then on to Hilsa on the Nepal’s northwestern tip bordering China to start the race on 9 April. On Thursday morning, race director Bruno Poirier, a tall, grizzly man, was briefing the runners in his French accented English.&nbsp; “Be prepared to change plans if the unexpected happens,” Poirier tells them. “It is an individual sport, but we also need to look out for each other.”&nbsp; The split between Nepalis and foreigners is about half and half, and most are middle-aged. &nbsp;Lean and fit with striated, veiny calves, these are obviously serious runners. They sport a wide variety of headwear: hats, visors, bandanas, snoods. Visitors are in shorts, but most Nepalis are in jeans with colourful running shoes. Many don wrap-around sunglasses.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120440_fe54e48b226ed874d280ba37cfdf292543ecba60c32a90c3d102bd23c55a52e3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240404120440_fe54e48b226ed874d280ba37cfdf292543ecba60c32a90c3d102bd23c55a52e3" data-rendition-name="original" width="909" height="542" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Runners will follow the route, in red, west to east </figcaption> </figure>  There is no easing into this race. The first stage is 41km, virtually a marathon. From Hilsa at 3,650m, runners will climb to Nara Lagna at 4,580m, and drop back down to Taplung at 2,880m. The race will get as high as 5,694m at Ghami La in Mustang during Stage 15, on Day 22. Runners will get to Muktinath on Day 27, and Manang on Day 30, exactly halfway into the race. On Day 41, they will be at the Last Resort on the banks of the Bhote Kosi northeast of Kathmandu. On Day 60, Stage 51, they will finally reach Kanchenjunga Base Camp at 5,143m on 31 May if everything goes to plan.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120428_552ed7dba5b37ca1ff9a835c63e8c4d70fd8d5741727c1025963a4c3a14ba49a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240404120428_552ed7dba5b37ca1ff9a835c63e8c4d70fd8d5741727c1025963a4c3a14ba49a" data-rendition-name="original" width="6016" height="4016" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Runner in the 2017 Great Himalayan Race below Mt Jannu </figcaption> </figure>  Nervous excitement is palpable among the runners. The race will take them through 27 high passes in the Himalaya, most of them above 5,000m elevation. Weather up there can change dramatically and suddenly, and participants will have to improvise, take new routes and even find places to take shelter. Vincent Minier from France completed the race in 2017, and tells us: “It’s like parachuting. The first jump is always the scariest.”&nbsp; French organisers of the race have a slightly laissez-faire approach to safety, attests Jagan Timilsana, winner of the 2017 race. Which means they will get along with the happy-go-lucky Nepalis. &nbsp; Greek couple Lazaros Rigos and Asimina Inglezou say the reason they signed up was because of the history and the mystique of the Himalaya. Also in the cohort are accomplished Nepali long distance runners Upendra Sunuwar, Bhim Bahadur Gurung, and Sher Tharu. While Sunuwar and Gurung also took part in 2017, it is Tharu’s first attempt in the competition.&nbsp; “It’s a hard race but when you finish it, it is the best feeling in the world,” says Sunuwar.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120440_c43beb3814090c8a5a2cedad1fecc0ac2c621fd00415bc2f18272db73e50a014.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240404120440_c43beb3814090c8a5a2cedad1fecc0ac2c621fd00415bc2f18272db73e50a014" data-rendition-name="original" width="4896" height="3672" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>Runners encounter numerous obstacles on their way</figcaption> </figure>  Swiss runner Jules-Henri Gabioud is in Nepal for the seventh time, and ran the race in 2017. He runs in the Alps and says the biggest difference is that the Himalaya is higher and rougher, the huts along the way do not have heating, and the food is basic. “I like dal-bhat but it can get a little monotonous,” he says.&nbsp; Lazaros Rigos from Greece agrees: “There are some ingredients missing: protein, vitamins and minerals. You have to supplement these, so your stamina holds up.” &nbsp; Rest and recovery after a gruelling stage consists of food, a wash, perhaps a couple beers, and good sleep. The runners also have to carry backpacks with sleeping bags, heavy jackets, meal packs, and first aid kits weighing upto 20kg throughout the race.&nbsp; Jagan Timilsina is from Sarangkot and won the 2017 race a whole 45-hours faster than anyone else. He now runs several businesses, including Himalayan Trail Running, and spends his summers teaching outdoor leadership in Alaska.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240404120448_00af08356dac7a6658eb66dca4d253409ab295a14d829cefa84f91b4ba782e9e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240404120448_00af08356dac7a6658eb66dca4d253409ab295a14d829cefa84f91b4ba782e9e" data-rendition-name="original" width="6016" height="3418" loading="lazy" alt="Hurtling through the Himalaya"> <figcaption>A runner in the trans-Himalayan Humla region of Nepal where the race starts on 9 April</figcaption> </figure>  He tells us, “The physical part of the race in 2017 was manageable, but as a Nepali for me it was an opportunity to see the culture and the beauty of the untouched and remote Himalayan valleys.” In 1983, British cousins Richard and Adrian Crane ran across the Himalaya from east of Kanchenjunga to west of Nanga Parbat, taking 100 days. Forty years since, Nepal is capitalising on the growing interest in ultra-running and adventure sports worldwide. Timilsina is familiar with the challenges of organising a trail race, and says Nepal’s bureaucracy is the biggest hurdle for adventure sports like the Himalayan race.&nbsp; He adds: “Visitors need multiple permits from multiple committees. Policies regarding running tourism are outdated, and arduous to change.” &nbsp;

Vishad Onta

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Hurtling through the Himalaya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXxxTSU5ubgTo Pratima Sherpa, the golf course is home, literally. She was born and raised in a small storage shed on the <a href="https://www.golfadvisor.com/courses/21820-royal-nepal-golf-club" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Nepal Golf Course</a> in Kathmandu.Growing up, Sherpa watched men dressed smartly in polo shirts and white pants swing shiny golf clubs on the vast grassy course below the airport. She wanted to do the same and so her father, a security guard at the course, crafted a makeshift club for her out of wood and Sherpa spent hours practicing her swing. There has been no looking back.Sherpa was just finding her footing in Nepal’s golf scene when the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/on-course-to-be-champion-golf,3390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepali Times first profiled her</a> four years ago. She went on to win national golf competitions and attract the attention of international media like the Los Angeles Times, Golf Digest, and ESPN.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41633&amp;preview_nonce=1a5fef970e&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trail-running trail blazer</a>, Sanghamitra Subba<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41606&amp;preview_nonce=6d2bb56d9f&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coming Soon: Ani Choying, the movie</a>,  Alisha SijapatiSherpa moved to California a year and a half ago and her life there is a world apart from the golf shed behind the third hole in Sinamangal, where her parents still live. In her second year at Santa Barbara City College, Sherpa  attends public speaking, business and math classes, practices golf for three hours, goes to the gym for two hours and does homework before bed. On weekends, she frequents a nearby beach with her friends and host family.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101148/636b77c69c7e80680e064657jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1323"/><figcaption>Photo: MICHAEL MONTANO</figcaption></figure>Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/golfing-in-nepals-monsoon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golfing in Nepal's monsoon</a>“Sometimes I have a tournament and a midterm exam on the same day and those days can be very hectic,” she laughed during a recent phone interview with Nepali Times.When she met him, Sherpa’s idol Tiger Woods advised her to work on her course management. “I still remember him saying ‘Hi Pratima!’ when we first met,” recalls Sherpa. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that or the fact that he said that my swing was perfect.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101148/636b77c99c7e80680e064658jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="744" height="800"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>During her meeting with Woods, Sherpa was filming for an ESPN documentary, A Mountain to Climb, which chronicled her journey from the 2017 Qualifying School tournament in Kathmandu to her stay in California, where she is hosted by a couple eager to support her golfing career.Tanya and Michael Montano had read Oliver Horowitz’s article about Sherpa in Golf Digest in late 2016 and had soon after travelled to Nepal to visit their daughter Sophia, who was in the country for a semester abroad. While in Kathmandu they decided to reach out to the young golfer.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41677&amp;preview_nonce=28a6e8e67c&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A goddess among people</a>, Shristi Karki<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41700&amp;preview_nonce=6d0139bd58&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From kamlari to MP</a>, Alisha SijapatiSherpa stayed with the Montanos in Santa Barbara, California for two months in 2017 and trained there in preparation for the Q School tournament that would take place back in Kathmandu that September. “They are my family,” Sherpa says of her hosts. “They’ve supported me, loved me and cared for me as much as my own parents have.”With the help of her host family, Sherpa became the first Nepali to compete in the The Symetra Tour in 2019, a tournament organised by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). After she finishes college in 2022, Sherpa will be eligible again to compete in the Q School tournament and thereby try for professional status in Nepal. No matter what changes in her life, Sherpa has her eyes set on one goal: to be Nepal’s first female professional golfer.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=1364#.W1GkTtUzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women play too</a>, Deepak Acharya

Pratima Sherpa swings for pro

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101148/636b77c09c7e80680e064655jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1713"/><figcaption>Photo: GOPEN RAI/NT ARCHIVE</figcaption></figure>Lately, world-renowned trail-runner Mira Rai is busy with documentary filming, physiotherapy, organising the fifth Bhojpur Trail Race, inspiring young Nepali athletes through her <a href="https://miraraiinitiative.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mira Rai Initiative</a>, and preparing for a competition in Europe.When she’s not travelling the world, changing lives or adventuring in remote Nepal, Mira tries to make time for wall climbing and bicycling. <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/mira-rai-trail-running,1776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepali Times first featured Rai in 2014</a> when she was just starting her running career. She was hot off her very first ultra-marathon race then, and the 23-year-old went on to win three more international races after being noticed by Trail Running Nepal.Now a part of the international Salomon Running Team, Rai is a household name in both the Nepali and the international sports scene. Having participated in ultra-marathons and trail runs around the globe, Rai has an impressive repertoire of races under her belt. “Every race is my favourite!” she says, but her most memorable is the Mont-Blanc 80km marathon she completed in 2015.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41606&amp;preview_nonce=6d2bb56d9f&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coming Soon: Ani Choying, the movie</a>,  Alisha Sijapati<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41653&amp;preview_nonce=6e1c391959&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pratima Sherpa swings for pro</a>, Sanghamitra Subba“Nepal had just been devastated by the earthquake and I wanted to be first in order to lift the spirits of fellow Nepalis,” recalls Rai. “I just kept running and running and when I placed first, it was my proudest moment, one I will never forget.”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/nepals-fantastic-female-runner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepal's fantastic female runner</a>, Sewa BhattaraiA knee injury last year kept Rai off the trails. Taking a year off after surgery, Rai has been in physiotherapy to regain her former mobility. She has used the time to expand the Mira Rai Initiative to promote trail-running, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/mira-rai-racing-to-help-other-runners/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support female athletes</a> and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-ultra-marathoners-anti-litter-drive/">launch an anti-litter campaign</a>.Rai credits former Maoist comrade Anupama Magar, the national karateka who gained recognition in the 2019 South Asian Games, with supporting her throughout her journey. The two met when they were guerillas in their late teens, and found they shared a deep passion for sports.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101148/636b77c39c7e80680e064656jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="641" height="800"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“My dost has supported me throughout my career, and I do not know what I would have done without her,” Rai says fondly of her roommate, who has been especially supportive this past year as Rai has been recovering from her injury and unable to participate in marathons.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41677&amp;preview_nonce=28a6e8e67c&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A goddess among people</a>, Shristi Karki<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41700&amp;preview_nonce=6d0139bd58&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From kamlari to MP</a>, Alisha SijapatiEven with a knee injury, Mira Rai does not stop. She says: “As a young girl from remote Nepal, I never even dreamed of the opportunities I’ve had. With this initiative I want to give other young Nepalis an opportunity to accomplish what I have. I want to keep running till the end.”Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/mira-rai-trail-running-nepa,2014" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Running all her life</a>, Naresh Newar