TRAIL RUNNING
Much of the marathons is on gravel mountain trails . ( 2019 race )
The full race party in 1987at Namche Bazaar , with Scott is standing third from right
airstrip at Lukla , a day ’ s hike south of Namche Bazaar . A final celebration was had in our hotel in Kathmandu , where our guest of honour was the ( then ) King of Nepal ’ s niece , as we not only raised some funds for local charities , but had raised the profile of the country . She presented us with our official medals and certificates , and it was a fitting end to a wonderful adventure . with the Tengboche Monastery opposite on the right . An aid station up ahead . A mostly downhill section to Namche . However , this was only at the 32km mark – not quite finished yet ! A 10km loop followed towards a small village called Thame , and back to the finish in the brightly coloured buildings nestling in the amphitheatre at Namche .
I couldn ’ t have been happier . The training on the hills in Scotland had stood me in good stead . Many of the other ‘ better ’ runners couldn ’ t cope or hadn ’ t acclimated as well as I had , and were more reserved in their running . Some were not accustomed to either camping before a ‘ major run ,’ or having a different diet for nearly three weeks . I finished in 10th place out of 45 finishers from five different countries , in 6 hours and 10 minutes , beating several of the ‘ better ’ ( i . e . road ) marathoners with sub-2:20 times .
The local Sherpa runners ran exceptionally well , placing in five of the top 10 positions , although the event was won by an expatriate Scot , Stewart Dutfield , who completed the course in about five hours , if I recall correctly . Meanwhile , despite the dire predictions from medical and sports experts about running at high altitude , the event was a huge success , and the marathon made athletics history . Although a few runners became sick , no serious ailments were reported .
I was stoked with my performance . I never dreamt that I would run so well , or that I would have enjoyed the run so much . My first marathon , and the first Everest Marathon to boot , what an adventure ! Since I had started hiking , it was an ambition to go and see Everest , the scale of the landscape , and what it feels like to tread in the footsteps of famous mountaineers . Not only had I now done that , but I had also finished a marathon in the mountain ’ s shadow . It had also been a wonderful opportunity to find space in a busy , stressful live , and to connect with other like-minded individuals and adventurers .
The Start of Big Things
After the customary post-race celebrations in Namche , we flew back to Kathmandu via the small
Subsequently , this Everest Marathon is run every two years , and to date has raised approximately 770,000 pounds for various local charities , thanks to the generosity of the participants , their sponsors , and the organisation . Bufo Ventures sold their franchise in 2019 , and the outfit that now hosts the marathon is called the ‘ Original Everest Marathon .’
As a postscript to this account , in 1989 my employment took me to work in Saudi Arabia , where I had the time and financial resources to participate in several climbing expeditions with a UK outfit ( now ) Jagged Globe , culminating in a successful ascent of Mount Everest in October 1993 . I subsequently climbed the seven summits , and to date have run marathons in 37 different countries . Never in my wildest dreams did I realise that this initial adventure in 1987 would be the start of a journey that has led me to all corners of the globe , and to meet many extraordinary adventurers from different nationalities , backgrounds and cultures ! Thank you to Bufo Ventures and their team for setting me off on this journey . I am very grateful indeed !
Images : Dario Severi / Wikipedia , Keith MacIntosh , Tsering Gompa / Wikipedia & courtesy Scott McIvor
Scott ( fourth from left ) and the rest of his 1993 Everest climbing party receiving Tengboche Monastery blessings
Scott on his way to Camp 3 , around 7300 metres , just days before his successful Everest summit in 1993
On top of the world – Scott ( left ) summits Everest in 1993 , luckily in brilliant weather
About the Author
Scott McIvor ( 67 ) originally hails from Scotland and is now retired and living in South Africa . He is an accomplished mountain climber , having successfully completed the Seven Summits challenge in 2002 ( climbing the highest peak on each of the seven continents ). Scott summitted Everest in October 1993 , becoming the 506th person to do so , and also climbed extensively in Pakistan , Peru , Kenya , Morocco , Kazakhstan , Indonesia , and the Caucasus in Russia .
To date , Scott has run 266 marathons and ultras in 37 countries , with a marathon best of 2:47:41 , and he earned permanent numbers for 10 completed runs at both the Comrades and Two Oceans ultra-marathons . He participated in the inaugural Triple Seven Challenge in 2015 , attempting to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days , but adverse weather conditions flying into Antarctica from the mainland prevented the achievement of the overall objective . Scott is currently enjoying a new lease of running life through participating in the many different trail runs , including ultras , that South Africa has to offer .
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