Run through the mesmerising Nepalese foothills with the mountains as your backdrop, and immerse yourself in the local culture of Nepal. This is a self sufficient race until the end of Day five, you will be carrying all your own food and kit so choose wisely! That said our Nepalese hosts will want to look after you so they may provide tea/coffee etc. at the campsites – this is not cheating, the race is fun and not an excuse for suffering!
Your tracking link for the 2024 event is: https://www.geotracks.co.uk/live/xxxx
Your adventure starts with a visit to the World Heritage Site of the Monkey Temple or Swayambhunath in the west of Kathmandu City. Here you will warm up with a steep step climb before returning to the hotel for lunch and the kit check after some sightseeing/shopping time.
The historic ancient town of Sanku in the north eastern corner of Kathmandu valley, will be our starting point for the epic journey through the spectacular Nepalese foothills. Following jeep tracks cut in to the hillsides, incredible tree covered hills and breathtaking drops, your journey will take you through a diverse mixture of towns and villages and into areas that tourists don’t normally get to see. Expect a warm welcome and some jaw dropping temples and holy sites. Panoramas of lush vegetation and snow-capped peaks in the distance are more than worth the challenging ascents!
Staying in pre prepared campsites for the first 3 nights, and then the relative luxury of the village bunk house/tents on nights 4 and 5. On the morning of day 5, you will be awoken by the sound of the chanting monk who will be blessing the mountains and the runners – you will be itching to complete the challenge of the final day before the traditional evening meal, cooked by the local ladies in the village.
Throughout your adventure you will be taken care of by our fantastic local race manager and his team who literally know the area like the back of their hands. This challenge will give you an incredible insight into the Nepalese culture.
We’ll finish with a short down hill walk to the bus and some time to explore Kathmandu before our farewell meal − the perfect end after an epic adventure!
We are taking only a small team with us from England and equipment (trackers) that we can’t source within the country – everything else is bought locally and we are paying our local team well so we giveback to Nepal in a positive way.
Arrive in Kathmandu by 9am 24th November 2024. Event starts 25th November 2024 until 1st December 2024
£350 Initial deposit (non refundable) payable on booking.
Followed by:
3 Payments:
£425 due by 31st July 2024/£450 – due by 31st August 2024/£450 due by 30th September 2024 – Total payable £1650
Need to wait for after Christmas – register your interest for 2024 here
or not ready for 2024? Register your interest for 2025 here
For information about charity places or general enquiries please contact us.
Capital to Country is a multi day Ultra Marathon starting on the edge of the ancient Nepalese capital Kathmandu and winding its way through the foothills to Lama Village for the final stage. The terrain will be a mix of roads, jeep trails and challenging off road paths
We will email you to confirm that it is safe to book your flight. Naturally holding an event in a different country requires some pre-race checks! There are approximately 12 flights per day to Kathmandu, there are no direct flights from the UK so you can fly via Doha, Delhi, Kuwait or Istanbul, average flight times are approx.13 hours. Please book your flights to arrive in Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu (KTM) no later than the 24th November 2024 at 9am. We recommend searching for flights through Skyscanner. Once you have booked your flight please let us know the flight number an arrival time. It is a 20 minute journey from the airport to the hotel.
You will arrive at the Hotel Moonlight by the 24th November.
Day one (Sunday 24th November) – a 30 minute walk to the Monkey Temple to get some spiritual guidance for the next few days running and a little warm up with a serious amount of steps to climb. After walking back to the hotel we will have lunch, then you will have time for some shopping and sightseeing. In the evening we will carryout the kit check, then its off to bed for a final night of comfort for a few days!
Day Two (Monday 25th November) An early start with a packed breakfast to collect from reception. Then we say good bye to our suitcases and get on the bus to the start, a 40 minute drive to Sankhu. The race starts with stage one approx. 26.5 miles to Kasibanjayang – camp overnight
Day Three (Tuesday 26th November) approx. 23 miles via the Dhuikhel view point to Bhukundebesi – camp overnight
Day Four (Wednesday 27th November) Bhukundebesi to Mukpatar approx. 30 miles – camp overnight
Day Five (Thursday 28th November) Mukpatar to Manegaun Village (the Lama home) approx. 16 miles – rooms in the bunk house or tent and a flushing toilet!
Day Five (Friday 29th November) the Lama Trail Marathon approx. 27 miles in a loop around the village – rooms in the bunk house or tent. End of event traditional Nepalese party .
Day Six (Saturday 30th November) – Breakfast cooked by our Nepalese hosts followed by a downhill walk to the bus pickup point and the drive back to Kathmandu to be reunited at the Hotel Moonlight with your real clothes! The day is then your own to explore the city , visit The Garden of Dreams and then our farewell meal and prize giving.
Day Seven (Sunday 1st December) – fly home or extend your trip to further explore this amazing country
The course will be marked by our experienced local team. You will have an electronic tracker so we can monitor your progress
We will provide water at a number of places during each stage and hot water at each overnight stop for your food.
It is likely to be around 20 degrees during the day and bright sunshine. At night the temperature drops quite quickly after sunset. The humidity is relatively high so you are likely to be quite sweaty during the day. Overnight it gets very damp so it is difficult to dry kit after sunset.
Don’t forget that you have to carry all of this kit whilst negotiating the steep terrain so only carry essential items (leave your book at home!). Poles are optional but given the amount of elevation are worth considering if you are used to running with them.
For the event we will have a local medical team who will assist with any basic needs. You must have medical insurance to cover any serious issues and helicopter evacuation back to Kathmandu. Once this is booked you must provide a copy of your insurance and the emergency contact number they have provided.
Due to the strenuous physical demands of a multi day ultra marathon event Capital to Country is restricted to competitors over 18 years of age only.
Your stay at the Hotel Moonlight on the nights of the 26th November and 2nd December based on two sharing are included in the cost of the event .
The Geo Tracks GPS Tracker is lightweight and easily fits in a small pocket in your rucksack. Your family and friends can track your progress in real-time and you can use the Geo Tracks app combined with the tracker as an accurate tool for navigation during the event. The Event can be followed using the web link or via the app which can be purchased prior to the event for Apple or for Android. When opening the web link please click on start times and this will display a list of bib numbers (they are sorted alphabetically by surname). The GPS Tracking units upload your position every 10 seconds to the live view tracking map and are accurate to 5 metres. To find out more please visit the Geo Tracks website.
STAGE ONE – Sankhu- Chhauki Banjayang-Nagarkot-Kasibanjayang. Approx 27 miles
After collecting your packed breakfast it’s a 45 minute bus drive from our hotel to East Kathmandu, to a place called Sankhu the start our event. Sankhu is a historical ancient town located in the north-eastern corner of the Kathmandu Valley, which is about 17 km from the city centre of Kathmandu. The people who live here are traditionally called Newars. From Sankhu (4500 ft) to Jhule (6531ft) we have to run up hill. From Jhule to Kattike Banjayang is easier but from Kattike (5769ft) to Tourist site Nagarkot (6353ft) is another climb and then from there is mostly down hills and flat to Kasibanjayang. – Overnight camping
STAGE TWO – Kasibanjayang- Dobas-Dhulikhel- Dhulikhel View Point- Kavre Banjayang- Namobuddha- Dapchha- Kakre- Bhakundebesi. Approx 23 miles
Today our running trail is mostly up and down with some incredible views. We have to run around 1 mile on black top road and you will have to carefully cross the main road as well, there will be a marshal there to help.
Overnight camping
STAGE THREE – Bhakundebesi- Kanpur-Kot Timal- Narayanthan- Tholoparsil- Dulgu- Chovatar- Mukpatar. Approx 30 miles
The view of the mountains from the running trail is just spectacular. Of course you will also see the dramatic landscapes of terraced farmland. The culture and traditions of the Tamang community are the main attraction of this stage. Although, in Temal area there are other castes or communities (Braman, Chhetri, Dalit(lower cast) as well, but the majority of people living here are Tamang from the historic Tamang Empire .
Overnight camping on the beach by the side of glacial Sunkoshi river
STAGE FOUR – Mukpatar-Titretar-Tilchaur-Yougar-Mechhe-Longsal-Kaldunga- Lama Home. Approx 16 miles
Admire the stunning natural beauty around you, mixed with an unspoiled ethnic life style. The most significant attraction of the region is its exciting rural community, friendly and affectionate people. Enjoy the majestic view of Gauri Shankar (7134m/23405ft) and the Himalayan range of Langtang and a multitude of small peaks
STAGE FIVE – Lama Trail marathon. Approx 26 miles
You will be woken by the sound of the chanting monk who will be blessing the mountains and the runners. This route will take you in the sacred footsteps of the Grand Master Buddha through the heart of traditional Nepalese villages
1st Male – Tarne Westcott – 30 Hours 3 Minutes
1st Female – Helen Ramwell – 30 hours 59 minutes
How will I find a cheap flight and when should I book it? We found that Skyscanner.net is a good place to find good value flights. We suggest you book approx. 3 months before.
Do I need a visa for Nepal? Yes, you have two options here. You can either buy it in advance from the Nepalese Embassy (you will need to send off your passport ) or you can buy your visa at the airport on arrival but be prepared to queue. The cost at time of writing the was £25 GBP or $30 USD
Can I get currency before I travel? No, Nepal has a closed currency so you will need to exchange your money on arrival. There are currency exchange shops on every street with the same rate of exchange. It is worth getting some currency exchanged at the airport in case you need to arrange a taxi to the hotel. There is also an ATM by the Hotel Moonlight. The local currency is the rupee.
Will I need vaccinations? You will need to take advice from a healthcare professional, they should be aware that there are lots of roaming dogs and monkeys on the course – https://www.passporthealthglobal.com/en-gb/destination-advice/nepal/#vaccines.
Where is the hotel? – Your hotel is the Hotel Moonlight and your event price is based to two sharing. The hotel is on Paknajol Marg, KTM44600
What sort of travel plug will I need? https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guidance/advice-for-you/when-travelling/travel-adaptor-for-nepal/ The most common sockets are type C and type D
Can I get a local SIM card – these are available at the airport, you will often be asked to provide a photo which they will charge extra for if you don’t have one. The cost is approx. $5 for 12GB/7 days
Could I walk the event? Yes we had a power walker on the first event who completed each stage in daylight. You should be able to average a minimum of 3 miles per hour in steep terrain
What is the time zone in Nepal – Nepal uses Nepal Time (NPT). Standard time is used all year, and the country has never used Daylight Saving Time (DST). Unlike most countries, Nepal, with its UTC offset of +5:45, has a 45-minute offset instead of the usual full-hour offset: Clocks in Nepal are 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of UTC.
What will the weather be like in November/December? Expect warm sunny days between 19 and 23 degrees C. The evenings will be cool between 7 and 3 degrees C
Will I feel the effects of altitude? It is most common above 2500m altitude, so you’re unlikely to be significantly affected in Kathmandu (1400m) or much of the rest of the country.
Will I need insurance? Yes you will need travel insurance and helicopter medical evacuation cover. You will be running in a remote environment. We will require a copy of your insurance and an emergency contact number.
Is the course marked? Yes our local team will mark the course and make sure that it is easy to follow. We will also be monitoring the race with electronic trackers to ensure your safety.
Is there a mandatory kit list? Yes, please see the race information tab.
What happens if I get injured or want to drop out? Please let a member of the team know either at a checkpoint or a member of the mobile team. We can then make you part of the event team until our return to Kathmandu
Will I need a lot of money in Kathmandu? No, a pizza costs about £7 and a beer about £3.50. You will have to pay to enter some tourist attractions
What if I have a question not covered above? Please email us admin@gobeyondchallenge.co.uk