The women’s category of this year’s Everest Marathon was won by a runner three months pregnant, news reports said Thursday.
Ang Dami Sherpa, 44, won the women’s title in Wednesday’s 11th Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon in 6 hours, 2 minutes and 10 seconds. This is Sherpa’s second title at the 42.2-km race, after winning it in 2006.
“My husband and son asked me not to run. But I consulted a doctor and he suggested I could run if it did not make me feel bad,” Sherpa was quoted as saying by the Republica daily.
She said her three children and grandchild leave her little time to train for one of the world’s most arduous marathon events, which starts at the Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5,364 m, and ends at Namche Bazaar at 3,446 metres.
Her family was opposed to her running as she was pregnant, but she managed to convince them and trained over the 4 km from her home to Namche Bazaar.
“I feel pleased to have won the title at this age and will run in the coming editions as well.” Sherpa also has her sights on climbing Everest. “Everyone should try to achieve his/her dreams and my dream is to climb the Everest,” she was quoted as saying.
