Race Report: Capital to Country Multi-Day Ultra in Nepal

By Race Director Simon Hollis

Not many events come with the description of being a cross between the Marathon des Sables and the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc.

But that’s what one of the runners called this incredible five-day slog through the beautiful foothills of Nepal. The combination of rolling hills and gruelling climbs with a multi-day format meant I could certainly see how they’d come up with that particular comparison.

The Country to Capital Ultra Marathon is Go Beyond Challenge’s inaugural International event, a self-sufficient 123-mile race through the incredible foothills of Nepal.

Before we even started running, the experiences jumped at us – initially in the form of a gang of rather cheeky monkeys we met while visiting Kathmandu’s otherwise peaceful Monkey Temple. One of the presumptuous primates even grabbed themselves a Sprite bottle as a souvenir of our trip.

We were then privileged to receive a blessing from the local monks, wishing us luck before our incredible run got underway.

Day One

Day one of the race saw them up and about bright and early, departing Kathmandu for the ancient district of Sankhu, where the event was to start. Along the way, they received another monk-assisted blessing, you can’t take too many chances.

After heading off through the beautiful Sankhu gate, it didn’t take long until their first climb was upon them as they left Kathmandu in the valley below. The route snaked through jeep tracks cut in the mountainsides, taking in tree-covered hills and breathtaking drops. As they meandered through a diverse mix of towns and villages, the full scale of the remoteness and mesmeric beauty of Nepal became clear.

In all, the constantly changing terrain of day one took the runners over 27 miles before we reached out camp for night at Kasibanjayang.

Day Two

Day two brought more sensational scenery as they pulled themselves along jeep trails, through ancient villages and bustling towns, and into jungle and woodland. Waking early, and as bright as possible, the runners enjoyed a stunning mountain top sunrise and a quick breakfast before hitting the road 7am.