Annapurna First Ascent Marks 76 Years, Inspiring Marathon

Pokhara. In the history of mountain climbing, Annapurna I, which is over eight thousand meters high, is called the elder mountain of climbing because its ascent was made only after climbing it. The first successful ascent of Annapurna I, which is 8,091 meters above sea level, by French national Maurice Herzog on June 3, 1950, garnered global interest and attention in mountain climbing. Herzog's team had ascended Annapurna from the northern base camp in the Myagdi region. The world record set by Herzog's team after climbing Annapurna I increased the pace of mountain climbing and made the Annapurna region a subject of global interest and discussion. After the success of the Annapurna I ascent, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, on May 29, 1953. About a decade and a half after the ascent of Annapurna, in 1966, the world-renowned trekker Eric Shipton trekked to the Annapurna Base Camp at an altitude of 4,130 meters, and the Annapurna region has gradually become an attractive destination for trekking. Tourism experts say that the Annapurna I ascent by Herzog's team boosted tourism activities in the Gandaki Province, and a decade later, in the 1960s, 'hippie' tourists started arriving in Pokhara, directly linking the Annapurna Himal to tourism here. To highlight the glory and grandeur of Annapurna I, the Annapurna Century Tourism Committee has been organizing the Annapurna Marathon every year since 2075 BS, said committee chairman and marathon coordinator Lalit Gurung. "To promote the glory and grandeur of Annapurna Himal worldwide, we organized the Annapurna Festival for the first time at Annapurna Base Camp in 2074 BS with the then Chairman of the Development Committee of the House of Representatives, Rabindra Adhikari, as the chief guest," he said, "Since then, we have been organizing the Annapurna Marathon from 2075 BS, and this year, on June 3, the sixth edition of the Annapurna Marathon is going to be held." In this marathon, runners start from Annapurna Base Camp at an altitude of 4,130 meters above sea level and run a distance of 42.195 kilometers to Ghandruk. While trekkers normally take three days to complete this trek, the first runners complete this distance in more than four hours. Gurung informed that in the previous five editions, the first-place runners completed the distance in 4 hours and 16 minutes to 4 hours and 27 minutes. "It takes three days to complete this route during trekking," he said, "On the first day of trekking, trekkers go from the base camp to Bamboo or Dobhan, on the second day to Chomrong, and on the third day to Ghandruk." Secretary of the Annapurna Century Tourism Committee, Mikas Gurung, informed that the marathon, which starts from Annapurna Base Camp, passes through Machhapuchhre Base Camp, Bagar Deurali, Hinku Cave, Himalaya, Dobhan, Sinuwa, Bhanuwa, Chomrong, Taulung, Ghurjung, Chuile, Melanche, Komrongdanda, Kimrongkhola, Uri, and concludes in Ghandruk. He mentioned that the fifth edition of the marathon last year was celebrated as a diamond jubilee, marking 76 years since the ascent of Annapurna I. "In this edition, both domestic and foreign runners are registering for separate competitions for men and women," he said, "So far, 40 runners, including 13 foreigners, have registered." He informed that the famous Argentinian runner Pablo Ureta will also participate in the marathon this year. Publicity coordinator Tankaraj Adhikari informed that the first, second, and third place runners in both men's and women's categories will receive cash prizes of Rs 150,000, Rs 100,000, and Rs 75,000 respectively, along with certificates. He stated that the attraction towards this marathon is increasing every year due to the Himalayan geography, adventurous trekking routes, and beautiful natural scenery. He believes that this marathon will make a significant contribution not only to Annapurna I but also to the Himalayan tourism of the entire Gandaki Province and Nepal. He said that although there are many high and various altitude mountains within the Gandaki Province, including Annapurna I, the elder mountain of climbing, mountain climbing in Gandaki has not gained expected momentum, and activities like this are of special importance. The Gandaki Province has mountain ranges like Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Manaslu. The Annapurna mountain range includes Annapurna I, II, III, and IV, Annapurna South, Gangapurna, and Baraha Shikhar, all over seven thousand meters high. The Annapurna range also includes Tilicho Peak, Nilgiri, Lamjung, and other mountains.