The Manaslu Race will provide good training for The North Face race in San Francisco at the beginning of December. Great to have you with us Lizzy!

Lizzy Hawker running with Manaslu basecamp behind

Very kindly, they’re giving all of us 25% of the marked price of their items in the shop which is just 200m from the race hotel. Hopefully we’ll all find something nice to wear for the post-race gala dinner.

See their website: http://karuna.net.np/

• What you carrying while running:  small first aid kit for blisters / cuts, sprains etc; warm clothing for after you finish running (and should you need to stop), protection from sun, wind, cold; food enough for the day and water container. We run from 800m to over 5000m so need to be prepared for all temperatures.
• What is carried for you: Sleeping stuff, fresh clothes, anything else you want to bring (respecting at strict 10kg weight limit per person).

Much can be bought or rented in Kathmandu and expensive equipment is not always necessary. Contact if you have questions.

Running clothing

• Trail running shoes – good grip, half to full size bigger than normal for toe movement, tried and tested.
• Socks – two pairs can be enough. I will buy many pairs of Chinese sports here in Thamel socks for ~$1 and discard a pair every day.
• Shorts – may be slightly warm for tights on the first few stages
• Running tights – will be slightly cool for shorts on the higher stages
• Underwear
• Wicking t-shirt – ideally has a collar to protect your neck from the sun.
• Thin fleece top
• Thin gloves – for early starts. Windproof gloves ideal for crossing the pass should it be windy. Uncool windproof gloves can be bought here in Thamel for $4. 
• Windproof top – something light and small is ideal
• Cap or sun hat – sun is strong at altitude. I use an uncool wide brimmed hat which can be tilted to the sun’s direction to avoid applying suncream to ear’s and neck. A buff  can also be useful.

Other running equipment to be carried

• Rucksack – around 20-30 litres with chest strap. Test before using! Something like this OMM sack is ideal.
• Waterproof sack or cover – rain is very unlikely, but not impossible
• Bladder or water bottles – two or three litres. Wide mouthed bottles can be easier to fill and drink from while breathing heavily.
• Iodine tablets - or other water purification tablets for ad hoc water stops
• Survival blanket - (available in Kathmandu ~$6)
• Headlight – with spare batteries
• Map (provided)
• Whistle
• Suncream – sweat-proof sports suncream according to your needs.
• Energy bars / gels – bring according to your preference. A simple packed lunch will also be provided which includes a muesli bar, dried fruits, boiled egg, yak cheese, piece of fresh, seasonal fruit, Tibetan bread or chapatti. Carry enough spare calories to cover a full day moving until the evening meal.
• Sunglasses
• Post race clothing - on finishing, you will get cold between your fast finishing time and the time it takes porters to arrive with your packed bag. Thus you need to run with some warm clothing with you:
  • Dry t-shirt / thermal top
  • Fleece jacket
  • Warm hat
  • Down jacket (recommended)
  • Fleece pants  / thermal underwear
  • Dry socks, underwear
• Simple first aid kit - again everything can be found here in Kathmandu at low cost
  • compression bandage
  • pain killers (not Ibuprofen or NSAIDs)
  • wound cleaning kit
  • alcohol gel for hands
  • sling
  • emergency space blanket
  • ORS sachets
  • a sugar gel
  • blister kit (white tape etc)
• Money – Small bills if you need to buy drinks or food items on the way
• Personal documents – Insurance details, credit card, phone numbers in case of emergency
• Camera + spare battery 
• Toilet paper – toilet paper is seldom used in Nepal so carry what you need in a plastic bag. A small bar of soap (from hotel!) in a plastic bag is also useful to carry.

Carried gear

As soon as possible after waking, you’ll need to pack your bags so that the porters can get moving. We’ve mentioned a limit of 10kg for this carried bag. The reason for this is  simply to make the task of getting your equipment carried from point to point as quick as possible.

Sleeping gear

• Sleeping bag – we recommend a “3 season” sleeping bag as accommodation is not well insulated and part of our group will sleep in a tent for one night. Better to be warm than cold. Good sleeping bags and be bought or rented cheaply in Kathmandu. For the coldest nights, you can also use down jacket / hat / thermals / emergency blanket should you feel cold. Please also bring a ‘stuff sack’ or ‘compression sack’ to make the sleeping bag as small as possible.
• Thin sleeping bag liner – cotton liner can be used with hotel blankets in Arughat & Machhakhola as it will be warm. Sleeping bags will be transported to Deng to assist porters to manage this long distance.
• Lightweight sleeping mat – if you have a sleeping mat, please bring it. In the monastery there are limited mattresses. Other tea-house mattresses may benefit from some help.
• Earplugs - optional, in case others snore.

Other

• Bag - for transporting this gear. The simpler and lighter the better. A simple large stuff sac can be bought in KTM for 5$ like this.
• Sandals / flipflops – for post run. In Kathmandu you can buy Croc lookalikes for a few dollars. They’re not beautiful, but super lightweight and good with socks.
• Quick drying towel (if you plan to wash)
• Wash kit - including flannel or facecloth for simple body cleaning.
• Reading book – optional, lightweight preferably!
• Camera’s battery / charger. – There is not power available at every stop, so bring a charged spare battery and carry it with you.
• Hand sanitizer, alcohol gel - to minimise risk of catching colds / coughs / stomach problems etc.
  
• Other first aid / medication -
  • Medication for stomach problems
  • anti-histamine, eye-drops, pain killers etc
  • Cotton wool for cleaning cuts / wounds + iodine gel
  • Your personal medication
• Wet wipes - generally useful for quick, easy personal hygienge
• Oral rehydration salts – salts to aid rehydration. ORS to make 1 litre can be bought in Kathmandu for 10c per pack.
• Nalgene bottle – or similar (1 litre) for holding hot water
• Vaseline – for prevention of chaffing and blisters

Other tips

• Put soap in a plastic bag
• Bring some of your favorite tea-bags / infusions with you
• If you have an insulated cup / mug, this is nice for keeping drinks warm

The Manaslu Mountain Trail Race is a multi-day running race along a trekking route in Nepal. The running stages range from 18km to 39km – so not marathon distance. The ‘race ‘ passes over a high pass of 5,135m but this will not be run as a race, but walked as a group. The race schedule takes into account a safe acclimatisation schedule.

An experienced medical doctor will accompany the group. We’ve developed a clear CasEvac procedure involving helicopters and CIWEC clinic in Kathmandu. We’ll carry a full medical kit, a Gamow bag and satellite phone for emergency situations. All competitors are required to fill out a medical form which is signed by their doctor.

All in all it is a highly professional event with experienced, fit participants.

Insurance requirements for participants

1. Cover for travel to 5,135 m (not mountaineering, no ropes used)
2. Cover for emergency helicopter evacuation to Kathmandu
3. Cover for repatriation to home country for emergency treatment not available in Kathmandu
4. Cover for a “race” or sports competition (some companies exclude this in their fine print)

Additionally, some entrants may:

1. Need cover for trips starting at the destination (already away and not departing from their country of residence)

http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/asia/nepal.php

To all competitors – please read the above link and ensure you are up to date with all vaccinations – it is your responsibility to ensure you are adequately covered to avoid preventable and serious disease.

• It is also important that you visit your dentist prior to coming to Nepal. Deterioration in chronic dental issues that can be prevented prior to arrival in Nepal will put a halt to you enjoying your time and will put unnecessary strain on our medical services.
• Ladies please ensure you are not pregnant prior to arrival in Nepal.
• If you are planning to engage in sexual activity please do so responsibly.
• Being ultra-runners you will be well versed in looking after minor scrapes and bruises, stomach upsets, D+V and minor ailments. I will be on hand to look after any accidents and or emergencies.
• There will be a ‘rolling’ clinic in the evenings – this will include troubleshooting for the next day and also keeping an eye on those of us who may be developing issues. In light of this there will be a questionnaire to fill out on some of the nights – it is quick, easy and evidenced based and allows me to see who may be heading towards acute mountain sickness and/or worse. Please engage with these activities as it will make my job easier and also, hopefully, prevent anything serious developing.
• If you have any chronic conditions e.g diabetes etc – you will need to bring double the amount of medication you would anticipate using under normal circumstances.

I look forward to meeting you all and running with you – this will be the trip/race/trek of a lifetime!

On the cheaper side of this, a friend Uday has a small factory nearby and produces a range of equipment that certainly does the job at low cost. Is the quality as high as you can buy at home? Probably not, but it is not bad either – the down is of good quality, the fabrics are standard. I would not buy a waterproof jacket here, and sometimes fit can be an issue, and of course you’d have trouble taking it back to shop if you had problems 6 months on, but then you’ll just have to figure out how to use a needle and thread. Obviously you want to be well equipped for the race, but we’re not going to the moon. If you are about to invest in something you don’t see yourself using much in future, shopping around Thamel could be an option. And if that doesn’t work, then many international brands (Sherpa, Mountain Hardwear, North Face, Salewa etc) have stores here. Also highly recommended home-made stuff is Shona’s (and some prices from Shona’s below).

Uday, the shop keeper and manufacturer of things.

Some further cost guidelines. Rs 1000 is about US$12 dollars

• Sheet sleeping bag- always useful for keeping the sleeping bag clean and as your own sheet in hot, less sanitary places as a clean bed sheet:
  • Silk – Rs 1800 (XL 2000)
  • Cotton / silk mix – 750
  • Cotton – Rs 500 (XL 600)
  • Fleece – Rs 950 (XL 1100)
• Space blanket – Rs 500 / 600
• Windproof gloves – Rs 350 to 1200
• Compression sack – Rs 350
• Iodine tablets – Rs 600 makes 50 litres

I bought the shoe below on the recommendation of Lizzy Hawker. It was my first specialized low-drop trail running shoe after years of wearing “running shoes”. Over the last two years I change my running style slightly to strick on the mid-foot just by thinking about pushing my chest out by 1cm. Since then I have been pretty much injury free since the plantar fasciitis said a last goodbye.

I have crossed glaciers and moraines, completed a 100km on road, worn in bars and run though monsoon mud with no blisters. I bought a UK size 11 which is about half a size bigger than I normally wear. I wear them a little loose and let my foot do the work.

The only down side of these shoes is the slightly weak upper – the glacial moraine’s sharp rocks wore a couple of holes on the sides. Perhaps later versions have improved on this. The next shoes I buy will be Innov-8 as I have no reason to experiment with something else.

Innov-8 Roclite 295

Well worn and still worn.

Just needs a bit of stitching.

Thanks to Felix Weizman who just wrote to me via the manaslucircuittrek.com website. I set this up with some people from the area to let people know that a) the trek is great and b) it is possible to do without camping. Hopefully it is helping the people of the area benefit from tourism.

Felix wrote: “Last march a friend and I did the Manaslu circuit and Tsum valley. We found your website very helpful and informative. Attached are my photos from this amazing trip, please fill free to use them as you wish.”

Thank you to Felix. – please browse his pictures below and see many of the places this race will be taking you in November.

Click for Ben close up.

As you can imagine, with any sporting event, safety of the competitors is of paramount concern for the organisers. For a one day event, it’s relatively easy to find a paramedic, a doctor and even have an ambulance on standby. But for a multi-day event in the roadless mountains, you have to search for a doctor who is willing to come with you! And for he or she to be able to do that, they have to be fit, experienced in the mountains and preferably love running – that is no easy task!

Thanks to Lisa Tamati, we’ve found Benjamin Winrow, who’s a British doctor living in New Zealand.

I am a Doctor who has always cycled but decided to take up running 2 years ago. I recently came 2nd in the Northburn 100km in NZ, I am enjoying seeing the world and running the great trails. Aside from running I have a passion for remote healthcare and emergency medicine and I also love to see people achieve something they thought impossible. Two things I live by – ‘if you want it enough – you’ll get it’ and ‘if you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem’.

We’ve very happy to have Ben coming along, and naturally we hope his skills will not be needed. Ben is a talented runner and we’re encouraging him to race. Due to the mobile nature of the race, like a caravan, running in the field is as good a place to be on standby as any. With two-way radios, the sweepers at the rear will be able to keep in touch with Ben.

Ben will soon develop a medical questionnaire which we will send to all registrants. Later in the year, and before the event itself, we’ll brief you on the safety and emergency medical provision plans so everybody is clear from the start and ready for a safe, fun challenge.

All entrants will of course need to have their own medications and first aid kits at all times with medications for common ailments – blisters, gastro problems, sore-throat / cough etc. (We’ll provide guidelines soon should you need!)

In any event like this, runners need to be self-sufficient and responsible for their own health as much as possible – the race doctor is for accident and emergencies only. But then you can be reassured that should an accident happen, a highly qualified professional will be close by.

Great to have you with us Ben.

ps. Here is Ben running the Greenstone Caples Trail Run:

For the other competitors, this is a great opportunity to run alongside a super-talented athlete, ask questions to their heart’s content about how she does it, and be inspired for their own run in the mountains.

Lisa says, “If there is one country in the world that every trail runner if not everyone longs to visit its Nepal.the majesty of the Himalayas and its people captures the imagination: exotic, remote, beautiful; but no doubt also back-breakingly hard and a mission for the lungs. I have had the privilege of running many of the most beautiful places in the world but the majesty of the Manaslu trail race will no doubt top them all. Come join us on this adventure of a lifetime!”

Lisa will be joined by Chris Ord. To get to know Chris, have a read about his and Lisa’s 126km desert adventure earlier this year. Together they will film their participation in the race, which as organisers, pleases us greatly.

We’re very much looking forward to seeing you both in November!

Click to download Lisa’s bio