Wharfedales Mark Bennett has conquered Everest! Mark took part in the 2013 Everest Mountain Marathon which was the culmination of a 26 day expedition in the Himalayan Region with the race on day 19 following an exhausting acclimitisation process. 70 people, split into 3 smaller groups took part in the ultimate adventure of a lifetime. Mark finished a fantasic 41st place in 8.46.06. The first 12 athletes were not surprisingly all from Nepal! The race winner was Ram Kumar Raj Bhandari in a new record time of 3.40.43 breaking his own record by over 10 minutes!
On Thursday 28th November at 6.30am – I set off at a steady pace from Gorak Shep at an altitude of approx 17,000ft on the edge of a glacier. The route was very rocky and technical and covered in scree for the first 3-4 miles before dropping down into a valley to the first checkpoint at Lobuche. The second checkpoint was a further 3 miles away continuing the rocky descent down to Duglha. I was still feeling good at this point but took onboard the refreshments provided, which consisted of water, energy tablets and gels. After a further mile of descent the route levelled out and started to cross streams and grassy terrain with a few boulders thrown in for good measure – before reaching the next checkpoint at Pheriche. From here the route opened up into a dusty track, across a large river (by bridge) before starting to undulate towards the checkpoint at Pangboche in the next valley. From here we started our first climb of the day – climbing gradually over the next 2 miles through woodland to the next checkpoint which was the half way point at Tengboche.
The conditions were dusty and the temperature started to rise with the sun – it was now time to take off a few layers! Next the route followed dusty and zigzagging tracks down and then climbing out of the next valley to the 17 mile mark at Kangjuma. By now I was beginning to feel tired but carried on slugging away in the open undulating terrain, which had no shade from what was by now the midday heat. The last half mile of this section was downhill to Namche Bazar which was the 20 mile mark from where I could see the finish line to my left. However from here the course swung cruelly away to my right and I started to climb up to the start of the Thamo loop – running on the ridges of three consecutive valleys. This was the hardest part of the course for me and as it is also an out and back section it meant passing runners travelling in the opposite direction. From here exhaustion was setting in and the jog became a walk!
The walking and jogging on this mostly uphill section continued for approximately 5 miles and eventually gave way to a very welcome second wind and descent to the finish. The finish line was in the streets of Namche Bazar where we were welcomed by the runners who had already finished and also the locals who had come out of their shops to cheer everyone on and it was a brilliant feeling to have completed the highest and hardest marathon in the world – not my bad for my first marathon!!
After 2 nights in Namcha Bazar we then set off on a 7 hour trek to Lukla where the race presentation took place before boarding the plane home the next morning….
Well done Mark – what a fantastic achievement! Wharfedale trip next year anyone? For full official report and results – http://www.everestmarathon.org.uk/index.php/component/content/article/117