The Ladakh Marathon is held annually in Leh, at altitudes ranging from 11,500 to over 17,600 feet — among the highest marathon events in the world. Beyond the standard marathon and half-marathon distances, it includes two of the toughest ultra-endurance races in the Himalayas: the Khardung La Challenge (KC), a 72km race crossing Khardung La at 17,618ft, and the Silk Route Ultra (SRU), a 122km ultramarathon through Ladakh’s Nubra Valley that also crosses Khardung La.
I’ve run both. Below are my first-person race reports — training, race day, and the lessons each race taught me, for anyone preparing to take on KC or SRU themselves.
