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Farmer wins Everest Marathon
29/05/2007 09:53 - (SA)
Kathmandu - A Nepali farmer won the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon on Tuesday, completing the gruelling high-altitude route from Everest base camp in just under four hours, organisers said on Tuesday.
"I am very excited to win the world's highest marathon for the second consecutive time despite a leg injury," Dipak Raj Rai said via telephone from the finish line in Namche Bazaar.
"It is a very tough race and you have to be physically and mentally fit," said the 25-year-old, who finished in 3:59:24.
The annual race, which started in 2003, is held to commemorate the first summit of the 8 848m peak by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953.
"This is the world's highest marathon and the most challenging race in the world and we are trying to develop it as a major extreme high altitude adventure sports event," organiser Bikram Pandey said.
This year 136 runners, including 53 foreigners, took part in the 42.2km race. It starts at the bottom of the spectacular Khumbu Icefall at around 5 400m next to Everest base camp and ends in Namche Bazaar, a popular trekking base at 3 446m.
Among the competitors was a blind Irish runner and others who have participated in the North Pole marathon.
France's Antoine Bonafics won the foreigners' category, completing the course in 4:51:10.
"This is a very difficult marathon. There are lots of ups and downs and my muscles are too tired," the photographer said from Namche.
"I am very happy to win one of the world's hardest marathons. I didn't run for the title but I realised my win when I finished the line and people cheered for me," he said.
"Usually foreigners take over six hours and some even take almost 15 hours to complete the race," said event manager Sushil Bista.
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