Exotic Destination
Nepal
Nepal, located in South Asia and bordered by China and India in the Central Himalayas, contains eight of the 10 highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga – respectively the world ’s highest and third-highest peaks. One of the world’s poorest countries, Nepal relies heavily on foreign aid and tourism.
Despite these challenges, Nepal has a fairly thriving running community. In Kathmandu, Nepal’s vibrant, noisy, polluted capital city, running can be a stressful experience; rising with or before the sun is the key to running there. “You will find between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. the temples are always busy with walkers and runners doing laps as part of their daily routines. You find women in saris, workout groups, all sorts, it’s very unique and not something tourists would normally come across,” says Nick Kershaw, ceo and founder of the Impact Marathon Series. Kershaw brought the first Impact Marathon to Nepal in 2016. He has watched the running community there blossom over the last few years and predicts that this is only the beginning.
Opportunities to join organized local running groups in and around Kathmandu are surprisingly abundant. Kershaw recommends the ktm Trail Mob, a trail running group with the goal of growing the sport for all levels of runners. Kershaw’s also run with the Himalayan Hash
House Harriers, “a fun group, as you would expect from a hash, every Saturday they meet and come up with some truly original courses.”
With two national parks, Shivapuri and Godavari, within two hours of Kathmandu, the city’s outskirts are littered with great trails suitable for all levels of runner. Over the last few years, homegrown trail running talent has emerged, including national icon, Mira Rai. Rai has captured hearts around the world with her ultramarathon wins and started the Mira Rai Initiative to help support other Nepali female athletes.
Known for its stunning landscapes, rich culture, kind and hospitable people and epic trekking, Nepal contains some of the most rugged and difficult mountain terrain in the world. Runners can find a race at any time of the year, including marathons, stage races, multi-day races and single-day ultras. Many races aim to make a positive impact on local communities. The Kathmandu Urban Marathon started in 2018 to commemorate and aid in the recovery from the devastating earthquake of 2015 that killed thousands of people, f lattened villages and reduced numerous heritage sites to ruin. Marathon participant proceeds contribute to rebuilding and educational projects for the Nepali people.
The Impact Marathon in November is a weeklong event with the aim of changing the lives of both runners and local citizens. “The spirit of our event is to make it about running together, with others, for others, so our courses aren’t as brutal as the other Nepal races,” Kershaw says. “We design courses that do three things: tell the story of the nation and the community; make your jaw drop and make you smile; push you to dig deep within yourself and overcome what you previously saw as limitations.”
Nepal offers more than an exotic running destination providing an opportunity to make a personal contribution to this small nation’s development.