My wife and I share a deep passion for sports. This year, as we celebrated our Pearl Anniversary, we sought to commemorate this special occasion with an unforgettable adventure. Our choice was the Ladakh Half Marathon, renowned as the World’s Highest Marathon. This event offered a spectrum of challenges, contingent on the completion of specific qualifying runs, including The Silk Route Ultra (122 Kms), Khardung La Run, Full Marathon (42 km), Half Marathon (21 Kms), 11 Km, and 5 Km runs.
The start
To ensure participants’ safety and acclimatisation, the event organisers required all runners to arrive seven days before the race to personally collect their race bibs. The high altitude, steep slopes, and inclines along the route create a formidable challenge, often resulting in stories of adversity and, at times, even fatalities. Runners from all corners of India flocked to this iconic event. Some groups turned their seven-day trip into a memorable adventure, renting bikes for side trips and bringing along videographers to document their journey.
While my wife ( a cancer survivor) had explored Leh a decade ago with her friends, this was my first visit to this enchanting land. What made this adventure even more remarkable was the fact that I had battled a severe hyperimmune reaction to the COVID booster dose just a year prior. It had left me hospitalised and bedridden for six months, followed by nearly a year of home confinement. Still on medication, I needed my doctors’ approval to embark on this adventure. Fortunately, my determination to regain my health and maintain an exercise routine paid off, and I received the green signal to travel and participate.
As our departure date drew nearer, we sought advice from our running group friends who had previously participated in the Ladakh Marathon. We also consulted trainers experienced in preparing runners for high-altitude challenges, as running at such heights requires a systematic workout regimen due to the thin air, compounded by the relentless sun.
The prep
We started taking Diamox tablets (to help prevent symptoms of acute altitude/mountain sickness) two days before our departure. Our trip was scheduled a week ahead of the event to facilitate acclimatisation to the higher altitudes. After landing in Leh on Sunday, we followed the customary acclimatisation regimen and then took side trips to explore the area. On Thursday evening, we returned to Leh, preparing for our upcoming run.
Friday began with an early morning familiarisation run along the race route, helping us acclimate to the early morning temperatures. Later that day, as we explored the Leh market, we were deeply inspired by the beaming faces of runners who had completed the Silk Route and Khardung La Run after starting their races the previous night or early in the morning. Some of these resilient runners even joined us on Sunday for the Half and Full Marathon as part of their recovery routine.
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Chasing heights and pushing limits
The Half and Full Marathon races kicked off on Sunday at 6:30 am, with temperatures hovering around sub-10 degrees Celsius. The first 2 km led downhill, followed by a brief uphill stretch of about 1.5 km. This was succeeded by another downhill stretch for 5-6 km, leading to the Leh-Manali Highway, where the terrain levelled out until the turnaround point at around 11.50 km. On the return journey, the sun was high in the sky, and the thin atmosphere made it feel scorching as runners navigated the relentless uphill home stretch. This gruelling section spanned about 4.5 km of nearly continuous 45-degree incline, challenging even the most seasoned runners. The ascent of just 4.5 km took approximately 45 to 60 minutes for most runners, depending on their experience. The
altitude, temperature variation (8 degrees at the start to 14 degrees C at the finish), and the thin air all made the Ladakh Marathon more challenging than one could imagine.
In terms of the course’s slopes and inclines, the Ladakh Marathon was considered comparable to The Satara Hill Ultra Marathon by many runners. However, when you factor in the altitude, the level of challenge in Ladakh rises significantly.
We were well aware of stories of fatalities associated with this race. Understanding the formidable challenges we faced, we chose not to push ourselves to complete the course within a specific timeframe. Instead, we focused on listening to our bodies, ensuring our well-being and comfort throughout the race. Our goal was to savour the breathtaking route, immerse ourselves in the stunning landscape, and run purely for the joy of the experience rather than for competition.
The event organisers provided remarkable support along the route. This included baggage counters for runners to arrive at the venue wearing warm layers, which could then be discarded before the start. The event encouraged the use of refillable bottles or paper cups to minimise plastic waste. Along the way, locals, dressed in their traditional attire, musicians, and security personnel provided continuous encouragement and support.
We completed the race with respectable timings, crossing the finish line with smiles and, most importantly, on our own two feet. The adrenaline rush at the end solidified our belief that ‘Impossible Is Nothing’. If you’re a runner seeking an extraordinary challenge, I highly recommend adding the Ladakh Marathon to your bucket list. Cheers!
(Salil Datar is a banking and finance professional who enjoys blogging. You can read his blogs on Salil’s blog — Musings of a 50 something)
