The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon-2007 is set to be organised on Tuesday from the 5356m Everest Base Camp in Solukhumbu.
Mt Everest as seen from Khumjung, Solukhumbu, on Monday, May 28, 07. nepalnews.com/ANA
Altogether 130 runners from 14 countries are participating in the Marathon, which covers a distance of 42.195 kms, passing through the Everest Base Camp crisscrossing village trails to the Sherpa town of Namche (3446m). Among the participants, 26 are from Netherlands, six from the USA, five from the United Kingdom, three each from Japan and Germany, two each from Switzerland, Ireland and France and one each from Australia, Austria, Finland, Czech Republic and Thailand.
First organised in 2003, the Everest Marathon is the highest marathon in the world. Participants of this year’s marathon include a visually-impaired person, Mark Pollock of Ireland, 10 foreign females and a Japanese runner who has participated in more than 100 marathons.
“We are happy to note that Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is getting popular every year bearing its past legacy of the most challenging and world’s highest marathon,” Bikrum Pandey, president of the Organizing Committee told a news conference organised in Namche on Monday.
He added, “Since the name of Tenzing and Hillary has been associated with Mt. Everest ever since first they climbed, Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is a most befitting tribute to these great souls who climbed Mt. Everest for the first time in the history of human civilization.”
At the press conference, the organisers also gave away cash prizes to journalists and photographers for highlighting the event in the media.
German ambassador Franz Ring has been invited as the chief guest of the Everest Marathon and Pakistani ambassador Sohil Amin and Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Madhav Prasad Ghimire will be the special guests, who will honour the winners on May 29 with prizes and certificates.
The cash prize for the first runner of the marathon in general category is US $1000 while the second and third runners will bag $500 and $300 respectively. In the female category, cash prizes will be US $500, $300 and $200 for first, second and third winners. Coca-Cola (Bottlers Nepal Ltd) is the main sponsor of the event.
Organisers said the marathon would be an important step in spreading a message to the whole world that Nepal is the best place for adventure sports event and it would contribute to promotion of tourism in the country.