The race, which covers a distance of 250 km along the foothills of the Annapurna mountain range, is one of several races held world-wide by a Hong Kong based organization, Racing the Planet, since 2002. [break]
Racing the Planet Nepal is the 30th edition of the race and will be held over a week from November 20-26.
Ultra-marathon trail runner Ryan Sandes, who won the 4 Deserts Series last year, will also participate in the race, according to the website of the organizers.
“I can´t wait to go to Nepal as it has been a childhood dream of mine to travel there,” the website quotes Sandes as saying.
Sandes further says that the memories of running over 3000m above the sea level will last forever.
The ultra-runners will begin the race from Mardikhola of Pokhara, near Fulbari Resort, on Sunday and will have to traverse four districts - Kaski, Parbat, Baglung and Myagdi - along the Annapurna trail which soars up to a height of 3,200 m and will return to Pokhara after seven days, according to Racing the Planet Nepal´s director Suman Pandey.
Each participant has to pay $3,500 for the ´self supporting race´ as the participants will be carrying their food and belongings by themselves, according to the organizers.
However, this event will also boost tourism as the locals can benefit from the ´home-stay´ concept put forward by the government for the Tourism Year 2011.
Pandey claims that this event features the maximum number of tourists among the various programs organized during the tourism year.
Athletes from France, USA, UK, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Laos and Vietnam are competing in the race. USA has the highest number of participants with 55 runners.
Maclagan to run for welfare of Nepali kids
Douglas Maclagan, the founder of Child Welfare Scheme (CWS), will also participate in the ultra-marathon to raise funds for Nepal´s unprivileged children. Maclagan has been involved in the welfare of children in Nepal for the last 17 years.
He had raised $42,000 last year during a similar race held in Australia. Maclagan hopes to raise $65,000 this time around.
Maclagan is aware that it is not an easy task to run this race in such a challenging terrain of Nepal but he is ready to take risk for the sake of the underprivileged children.
“The physical pain that I will endure during the race is nothing compared to the sufferings of lots of hapless children here,” Maclagan told Republica.
“I hope that my endeavours will help in bringing some positive changes in their lives to some extent,” he added.
Maclagan says that the funds raised will be used for the welfare of street children and to ascertain their rights. The amount will also be used for reducing the child mortality rate.
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