General information
Thank you for your interest in the Great Tibetan Marathon. We welcome
you to explore this amazing race, set in one of the worlds highest mountain ranges,
amidst a landscape of unparalleled beauty, history and unique culture.
The Great Tibetan
Set in the Trans-Himalayan backdrop of staggering proportions,
this marathon offers an exceptional running experience. Lo-cated within the political
boundaries of India, Ladakh - the western most province on the Tibetan Plateau is
also the only place other than Bhutan that has Buddhism as a living religion.
Running the distance of your choice at an average altitude of 3600mts (11,800 ft.),
the Great Tibetan Marathon is undoubtedly a challenge of a lifetime. Forbes magazine
selected the Great Tibetan Marathon as one of the
“World’s 10 most Extreme Marathons” (Link).
There will be 4 running categories as follows:
1. Full Marathon
2. Half Marathon
3. 10 km
4. 5 km
To help you acclimatize fully and to avoid any serious altitude related sicknesses
during the race, there is a mandatory 5 day period you will be required to be at
an altitude of 3500mts or higher before you are able to run the distance of your
choice. All our packages on offer confirm to this norm.
The Marathon program itself is 3 consecutive days, with the actual marathon taking
place on the 19th of July.
The day prior to the marathon we’ll be organizing a 3km breakfast run. This will help
you gauge your fitness level, and give you a taste of the challenge the next morning.
The morning of the Great Tibetan Marathon begins to the sound
of several meter long Buddhist horns from the courtyard of Hemis Monastery (3800mts).
Hemis is the head monastery of Ladakh Region, and prior to the race the Chief Lama
(priest) of the monastery will bless all the participants.
Running across the spectacular views the Indus valley offers, the track is set at
the foot of the Stok Kangri Range (6100mts). Through out the track there will be
several water and medical stops. Also, Ambulances will be constantly going up and
down the track to take care of any emergencies. The track itself varies between
tarmac, gravel, wooden bridges, village streets and overall a good firm track. It
finishes at the foot of Spituk Monastery with a Buddhist celebration. At the finish,
there will be a large medical tent with a team of doctors and nurses should you
need any medical attention. Also at hand will be a team of masseurs for your service.
The Marathon day ends with a Dinner in a large marquee tent setup specially
for the purpose at the banks of the river Indus. The theme ? 1001 Tibetan Nights!
Participation
We would like to offer everyone the chance to come and experience the Great
Tibetan Marathon, but unfortunately given the limited infrastructure in such a remote
place as Leh, Ladakh; we are at present only able to offer 250 places.
These are available on a first come first serve basis.
Also, we require that your personal doctor/physician considers you fit enough to
run the distance of your choice at this high and Altitude. We also recommend that
you have finished at least one previous race in the category you choose to participate
at the Great Tibetan Marathon.
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