AFP
More than 100 runners have braved high altitudes and freezing temperatures on Mount Everest to take part in the world's highest marathon.
The Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon is held every year on May 29 to commemorate the first ascent of the world's highest peak, and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest marathon in the world.
The race starts in Gorak Shep, close to Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5356 metres and finishes about 2000 metres lower in the town of Namche Bazaar.
The route covers 42km of steep mountain track, which organiser Abhishek Pande said he hoped would boost adventure tourism in Nepal.
"Only Nepal can offer this kind of marathon route. This is the same path used by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay for their first ascent of Everest," Pande told AFP by telephone from the finish line.
He said 135 runners from around the world took part in this year's race, which took place despite unseasonably heavy snow.
The winner was Phurba Tamang, a Nepalese runner who completed the race in three hours, 41 minutes and 20 seconds.
