ROAD RUNNING
HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS
The event was promoted as the highest road marathon in the world , with plans to have this certified by the Guinness Book of World Records , and three distances were offered – half marathon , full marathon and 50km ultra-marathon . The run would be on the paved road of the Karakoram Highway , which was to be blocked off for the duration of the event , and would commence at the Kunjerab Pass , which is about 900km from Islamabad , on the border with China . At 4700m , it is the highest paved international border crossing in the world , and is one of the international borders where left-hand traffic ( Pakistan side ) changes to the righthand side of the road ( Chinese side ). On the Pakistan side , the border crossing also features the world ’ s highest ATM !
The Chinese side of the border at Khunjerab Pass .
GETTING NOWHERE FAST
We were requested to meet in Islamabad , with a free day to recover from the long flights that the majority of runners would have , and if time permitted , to do some sightseeing . An internal flight would leave early on the Thursday morning to Gilgit , one of the main towns in the famous Swat Valley in the north , on the highway .
A local running club in the north of the country would measure the course , and comply with all the normal standards for an official race ( course measurement , aid stations , medical facilities , timing , registration , and other conditions ). The main sponsors were to be the Pakistan Air Force and the Serena Hotel chain , through Z Adventures . The authorities were exceptionally keen to promote Pakistan as a safe and friendly tourist destination , and this would be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the northern areas of the country . There was to be extensive coverage in the local press , and national broadcasting corporation .
It was another dream come true for me to visit Pakistan again , to travel once more on the Karakoram Highway , to revisit places that I had been to twenty plus years earlier , to gaze upon the mountains aside the highway , to rekindle my rapport with the people in the north of the country , and this time to run a marathon !
Just in case you need cash at the border …
The Pakistani side of the border , with runners just having started .
My flight from Cape Town was with Qatar Airways , with a two-hour stopover in Doha before an onward connection to Islamabad . I would arrive early on Wednesday morning , with a rest day scheduled before the onward internal flight . However , my flight from Cape Town was delayed , then further delayed , and finally postponed until the following morning . At one point , I was unsure whether I would arrive in time for the Thursday morning flight to Gilgit , and informed Ziyad that I might miss the whole trip . Thankfully , the flight did eventually leave , and I arrived in Islamabad airport in the early hours of Thursday morning , a little bit frustrated with the delays .
American para-athlete Beth Sanden .
After immigration , I was met by a representative of the Pakistan Air Force , as all the runners were their guests whilst in the country , and they would take it upon themselves to guide and look after us at all times . What a friendly welcome , even though I was very tired after nearly three nights without sleep – and there was no point in going to the hotel to get some rest , as all the runners were shortly coming to the airport for the early flight !
I met up with Ziyad , as well as American para-athlete Beth Sanden , whom I had met at another marathon with Z Adventures in 2015 . In 2002 , while training for an Ironman , Beth had a bike crash that caused a spinal cord injury , leaving her paralysed from the waistdown . After multiple surgeries , she resumed training as a paraplegic athlete , and went on to complete marathons on all seven continents and the North Pole , and set multiple Guinness World Records . She has a love of running and travelling , which she does frequently with her supportive husband . I also met up with a former Qatar work colleague , Matt , whom I would share rooms with on this trip . It turned out to be great fun sharing with him , as we have a lot in common . I could also share my running experiences with him , as he was running his first marathon , and other tips on what we would experience in the north of the country and being at altitude .
Scott arrives at the race hotel in Gilgit .
Images : Nain Malik / Wikimedia , Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia , Saadzafar91 / Wikimedia , Irfan Karim / Wikimedia , Fassi Farooq / Wikimedia & Courtesy Z Adventures
32 ISSUE 167 | www . modernathlete . co . za