07/10/2022
29 top athletes to take part in the 203- kilometre Snowman Race
The Snowman Race Secretariat has announced that the first ever Snowman Race, the world’s most challenging ultra-marathon, will take place between October 13 – 17, 2022.
A total of 29 endurance athletes, including nine Bhutanese runners, will compete over 203km (125 miles) across five days at an oxygen-sparse average of 4,500m (14,800 feet) with the highest point of 5,470m (17,946 feet).
The trail has been completed by fewer people than have summited Mt. Everest, and normally requires between 20-25 days to complete.
The Race, an initiative conceived by His Majesty The King of Bhutan, aims to generate awareness about the climate emergency.
Bhutan’s fragile ecosystem makes it highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. The country is exposed increasing calamities such as landslides, unpredictable weather changes and a rapidly changing ecosystem.
The event will highlight the alarmingly real effects of global warming, particularly on the planet’s most threatened ecosystems, such as those of the high Himalayas.
Bhutan also aims to boost its position as a vocal thought-leader on climate change and continues to promote, results-driven, sustainable development initiatives throughout the country.
The event will conclude with a virtual climate conclave after the final day of the race.
The ultra-marathon will feature athletes from the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, Tanzania, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as well as nine from Bhutan.
The Race will navigate through some of the most stunning areas in the Kingdom, including the base of Gangkhar Puensum, the world’s highest unclimbed mountain (and Bhutan’s tallest peak at 7570m/24,836ft).
