The 2015 Kathmandu Ultra
Ultramarathon Continent # 5
Distance: 50 km
Country # 30
Date: January 3, 2015
My Time: 11:11:27
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
I completed my 5th ultramarathon in Mount Shivapuri National Park, Nepal.
The Kathmandu Ultra is not an easy race for people coming from low altitudes, as I explain in the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival. Excerpts:
“It was the moment of truth for my fifth ultramarathon, since I would either ominously experience my first DNF within the next two hours or I would laboriously reach the peak of the Shivapuri and save the day. I painfully walked up the steps carved into the rock, stopping many times to catch my breath. My heartbeat suddenly accelerated when I heard very fast footsteps behind me in a forest many predators, including the Indian leopard and Himalayan black bear, call home.
As it fortunately turned out, two Nepalese were catching up with me at a fast speed, competing for the title of the 50 km race. I immediately moved aside to free them the way. The rest of the professional runners soon follow suit, one after the other. It was amazing to see all those guys running so fast, where I could hardly even walk. And it was only a matter of few minutes before the silence and my loneliness came back.
When I finally reached the top of the Shivapuri, I discovered the impressive statue of the Shivapuri Baba. After a short break to savor the moment and admire the magnificent landscape on 360 degrees, I resumed the race with the determination and the confidence to make it to the finish line. I later found a foreign runner sitting next to the trail, where the courses of the 27 km and the 50 km races separated.
‘Hello! Are you okay?’ I asked him in English.
‘Hello! I was doing the 50 km, but I’m considering to continue on the course of the 27 km, because I’m not feeling well.’
‘My name is Sidy.’
‘I’m Thierry.’
‘Ah, so you’re the other French runner!’ I exclaimed in French.
‘Yes, I am!’ he replied also in French.
‘Thierry, I suggest that you continue with me on the 50 km race. We have already overcome the most difficult section of the course. We’ll make it together to the finish line.’
‘It’s actually my first ultramarathon.’
‘That’s a good reason not to give up!’
Thierry Massa accepted my proposal, and we later completed the race in a time of 11:11:27. Richard informed us that Emi Abe had quit the race and that she was already back, but he had some concerns for Arpita Maitra who was alone somewhere after the last check point. She would bravely and safely finish the ultramarathon in a time of 12:25:00.
On January 4, 2015, I boarded a flight to Doha, where I took a connecting flight to Paris. A terrible earthquake hit Nepal and its capital on April 25.”
Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).
Distance: 50 km
Country # 30
Date: January 3, 2015
My Time: 11:11:27
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
I completed my 5th ultramarathon in Mount Shivapuri National Park, Nepal.
The Kathmandu Ultra is not an easy race for people coming from low altitudes, as I explain in the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival. Excerpts:
“It was the moment of truth for my fifth ultramarathon, since I would either ominously experience my first DNF within the next two hours or I would laboriously reach the peak of the Shivapuri and save the day. I painfully walked up the steps carved into the rock, stopping many times to catch my breath. My heartbeat suddenly accelerated when I heard very fast footsteps behind me in a forest many predators, including the Indian leopard and Himalayan black bear, call home.
As it fortunately turned out, two Nepalese were catching up with me at a fast speed, competing for the title of the 50 km race. I immediately moved aside to free them the way. The rest of the professional runners soon follow suit, one after the other. It was amazing to see all those guys running so fast, where I could hardly even walk. And it was only a matter of few minutes before the silence and my loneliness came back.
When I finally reached the top of the Shivapuri, I discovered the impressive statue of the Shivapuri Baba. After a short break to savor the moment and admire the magnificent landscape on 360 degrees, I resumed the race with the determination and the confidence to make it to the finish line. I later found a foreign runner sitting next to the trail, where the courses of the 27 km and the 50 km races separated.
‘Hello! Are you okay?’ I asked him in English.
‘Hello! I was doing the 50 km, but I’m considering to continue on the course of the 27 km, because I’m not feeling well.’
‘My name is Sidy.’
‘I’m Thierry.’
‘Ah, so you’re the other French runner!’ I exclaimed in French.
‘Yes, I am!’ he replied also in French.
‘Thierry, I suggest that you continue with me on the 50 km race. We have already overcome the most difficult section of the course. We’ll make it together to the finish line.’
‘It’s actually my first ultramarathon.’
‘That’s a good reason not to give up!’
Thierry Massa accepted my proposal, and we later completed the race in a time of 11:11:27. Richard informed us that Emi Abe had quit the race and that she was already back, but he had some concerns for Arpita Maitra who was alone somewhere after the last check point. She would bravely and safely finish the ultramarathon in a time of 12:25:00.
On January 4, 2015, I boarded a flight to Doha, where I took a connecting flight to Paris. A terrible earthquake hit Nepal and its capital on April 25.”
Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).
Dr. Sidy Diallo enjoying the beautiful landscapes from the Shivapuri Peak in Nepal
Dr. Sidy Diallo's 2015 Kathmandu Ultra Results
Dr. Sidy Diallo and Thierry Massa taking a short break during the 2015 Kathmandu Ultra
The Statue of Shivapuri Baba on the Shivapuri Peak, Nepal
Dr. Sidy Diallo in Downtown Kathmandu, Nepal
