27 Nov Monkeying about… and then down to business – Our Capital to Country Multi Day Ultra Marathon is underway
There comes a time when the monkeying around has to end.
But being Go Beyond, we decided to extend it just a little – and it turned out to be a blessing.
Yes, the first day of our epic Nepalese adventure is done and dusted, with our seven intrepid adventurers all safely across the finish line.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. For those who don’t know, the Capital to Country Multi-Day Ultra Marathon is our first international event. The five day, 120-mile run takes participants through the mesmerising foothills of Nepal, with stunning mountains as their backdrop and the chance to immerse themselves in the local culture of this incredible country.
And so, on to the monkeys. Our arrival in Kathmandu, the start of the run, saw us pay a visit to the city’s Monkey Temple, where one cheeky primate grabbed themselves a Sprite bottle as a souvenir of our trip.
We were then privileged to receive a blessing from the local monks, wishing us luck before our incredible run got underway.
Day one of the run saw us up bright and early, departing Kathmandu for the ancient district of Sankhu, where the race started – but only after we recieved another monk-assisted blessing. You can’t take too many chances!
The runners headed off through the beautiful Sankhu gate, followed by an incredible climb up from the Kathmandu valley. Today’s stage was 27 miles, with breath-taking views, and constantly changing terrain.
Snaking through jeep tracks cut in the hillsides, and taking in tree covered hills and breathtaking drops, the route meandered through a diverse mixture of towns and villages, taking in areas tourists don’t normally get to see.
Our magnificent seven all finished within one hour of each other. First across the line was Helen, with our power walker Emily completing the group in a brilliant time.
Our camp for the night was in Kasibanjayang, with our runners getting a well earned rest ahead of the trails and trials to come.
We’ll be keeping you up date with their adventure here, as well as on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages – with plenty more breathtaking photography from Adrian Howes, who braved the course on the back of a motorbike to capture theses images, to come.
