Pokhara: A marathon race is set to take place at the Annapurna Base Camp, marking the diamond jubilee of the first successful ascent of Annapurna I, which stands at 8,091 meters. The event is part of a broader celebration organized by the Annapurna Rural Municipality to honor the 75th anniversary of this significant achievement in mountaineering history.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the ‘diamond jubilee festival’ will include a 30-kilometer marathon, which is scheduled for June 3. The race will begin at the Annapurna Base Camp, located in Rural Municipality-4, and will conclude in Narchyang village. Approximately 60 participants are expected to compete in this high-altitude marathon, which is being held in the district for the first time.
Bharat Kumar Pun, Chairperson of the Annapurna Rural Municipality, stated that the marathon is just one of the many events planned for the Annapurna Diamond Jubilee Festival, taking place from May 30 to June 4. The festival will also feature the unveiling of statues of the first climbers, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, along with Nepali climber Sonam Wangchuk Sherpa. Additionally, the inauguration of an open museum at the base camp and the Maurice Herzog trekking route, connecting Narchyang to the base camp, will be part of the celebrations.
The original ascent on June 3, 1950, by French mountaineers Herzog and Lachenal, along with two Nepali Sherpas, is celebrated as a milestone in Nepal’s climbing history. The diamond jubilee festival aims to commemorate this historic day with a series of events highlighting the legacy of these pioneering climbers.