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The Everest Marathon (www.everestmarathon.org.uk) - the world's highest - is from Gorak Shep (5184m ASL - the final inhabited village before the summit of Everest) to Namche Bazaar (3446m ASL). The event in December consists of running an undulating 42km course on snow, ice, rock and sand in temperatures ranging from -20C at the start to +30C at the finish. This is preceded by two acclimatisation races and a high-altitude trek over several days to get to Gorak Shep. The marathon is followed by another trek over several days to reach the airstrip at Lukla. There are many risks associated with this gruelling race, including: Acute Mountain Sickness (altitude sickness), hypothermia followed by heat-exhaustion (brought about by the temperature difference from start to finish and the difficulty ingesting fluids) and falling (the trails are narrow and difficult and the drop-offs immense). Due to the associated risks only 75 non-Nepalese runners with mountain-running experience are allowed to enter and it has taken me over two years to gain this - including completing cross-country 10km, 30km and 40km races, fell-runs, adventure-races, 15 marathons and an off-road ultramarathon (100km). I aim to run the Everest Marathon to raise money for the Everest Marathon Fund and St Dunstan's. The Everest Marathon Fund (Charity Registration: 1005422, www.everestmarathon.org.uk) is a UK-based charity which donates money to charities working in Nepal providing community support to the local population, ranging from education to health and infrastructure projects. Nepal is the world's fourth poorest country despite the large number of foreign visitors it receives and the Fund is designed to give something positive back to the people that make this land so special. St Dunstan's (Charity Registration: 216227, www.st-dunstans.org.uk) is a UK-based charity that was founded in 1915 and provides training, rehabilitation and lifelong after-care for ex-Service men and women who have lost their sight. Not only does it give an independent future to those who have received eye injuries in past and recent conflicts or training but also helps anyone who has served in the Forces at any time. There is also a Trust within the organisation that provides support for members of the Emergency Services who have suffered severe loss of vision while on duty.
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