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Austria in the Himalayas with Lenzing Profilen®
23.12.2008
India/Nepal 3rd. November 2008: The start of the 18th. Himalayan Stage Race. 100 miles, 9000 height meters and five days later Hubert Gantioler wins with a sensational lead of one hour ahead of the other competitors, the probably toughest mountain race in the world in the Himalayan boarder region between India and Nepal.
“I was perfectly prepared for the race; luckily I didn’t know in advance what awaited me on the mountain” he is now able to say with a grin on his face.
The whole race took place between 2400 to 4000m altitudes. The track was extremely steep and rough. Approximately 80 athletes were on their way for five days from one mountain village to the next. Gantiolers winning time was 14hrs 58mins.
The international field of competitors was very strong and the separate stages were extremely fast. Every day the well-prepared extreme athletes fought duels amongst themselves in the battle to win the Himalayan race.
“I travelled to the HSR with the aim to win it” Gantioler said, full of self-confidence. His tactic: to attack from the start. “After I had won the first two stages and kept my fellow athletes at several minutes distance, I started to pursue my personal secret goal: namely to win all five stages which has never been done before”.
The exceptional athlete Gantioler also won the third stage, the Mount Everest Marathon. This stage was not only ran by the HSR athletes competing but also by athletes that only compete for this marathon which means they are fresh at the start. Gantiolers winning time for this stage was 4hrs 32mins.
Facts:
• Five stages, 100 miles (162km), 9000m height metres
• Track on altitudes ranging between 2500 and 4000m
• 80 athletes from 14 nations (USA, GB, South Africa, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Austria…..)
• Winning time 14hrs 58mins
• King of distance records:
- 2nd. stage 2hrs 42mins (32km and 1400 height metres)
- 4th. stage 1hr 26mins (21km and 500 height metres)
- 5th. stage 2hrs 6mins (27km and 700 height metres)
Diary:
Monday 3rd November 2008 – First stage:
Today the first stage of the Himalayan Stage Race was started at 7.30am (local time). The start was in Maneybhanyjang at 6000ft (2000m). The finish was in Sandakpuh at 11815ft (3600m). Between the start and finish there are 2590 height metres and “one of the hardest mountain races I have ever competed in”. My result is perfect. With a time of 4hrs 11mins, I was able to leave the other athletes behind me and reach the finish line first. It sounds easy but it wasn’t. I have never ever seen such steep roads as we ran up today bearing in mind I worked in the forestry industry for 25 years. The Himalayas is going to be an extreme challenge.
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Tuesday 4th November 2008 – Second stage:
“Yesterday was a great day, today was even better”. That’s what I thought as I phoned via satellite phone my team at home and that’s what I told them. I recovered very well from the first stage and went fully motivated to the start of the second stage. 20 miles (32km) lay before us at the ’foot’ of the Himalayan mountains again at an altitude of 3600m. Wonderful views of Everest, Lohtse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga – four of the five highest mountains in the world can be seen on this stage, views that I can only really enjoy now after the race.
The first half I ran fast but controlled. My aim was to at least keep the time in hand I had to my fellow competitors. After kilometre 14 I suddenly felt cramps in my legs. I had to replenish my fluid levels urgently but at the same time not burden my stomach too much, a real balancing act.
Turning point at 16km: At the turning point I had recovered sufficiently, gained two minutes and wanted to keep the pressure on. I increased my speed once more, kept it up until the finishing line and left my competitors behind me. Result of the second day: a further twelve minutes ahead of my competitors. After this second day I am leading by 26mins. This time lead makes me feel comfortable but I know that the next three days will again be tough.
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Wednesday 5th November 2008 – Third stage:
Today’s stage, the marathon distance is finished. We ran 26.4 miles (42.5km) and 1700 height metres. Paul Halford, a British marathon runner and my direct opponent fell back and I could gain another 30 minutes. I think “only someone who has five good days can win the race”. So I have to mobilize all my mental and physical reserves for two more days.
Today with a time of 4hrs 30mins, I have managed to stay ahead of even of those competitors who only ran this one stage, the so-called “Mount Everest Challenge Marathon”. “An extremely wild track today” I’m still quite overwhelmed by it. Especially on the downhill parts “totally slippery and muddy”.
Slowly the exertion is starting to wear; “especially the arches of my feet are hurting with every step I take because I have to run very carefully so as to avoid slipping”. I am in good spirits though. I have after all completed the three longest stages extremely well. The last two stages are “only” just 13 miles (21km) and 17 miles (27km) long!
“Now we are already at lower altitudes (2000m) and now I am beginning to feel hungry and thirsty again”, before I really had to force myself to eat and drink. As of today I have increased my goal which was winning the HSR. New goal: to win all five stages. A lot of energy and motivation are necessary to achieve this.
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Thursday 6th November 2008 – Fourth stage:
“An extremely fast race”, I’m still quite out of breath as I phone my support team at home via satellite phone after 13 miles (21km) and a “few hundred” altitude metres. It is at this point that I would like to emphasize that apart from the various motivation techniques, it is exactly this team that gives me mental strength and energy to achieve my goals.
Today long stretches were extremely steep downhill “the pace was nearly frightening” but I didn’t get shaken off. I remembered my strength: “its 8kms uphill to the finish, I know I can apply pressure there again”. In the end I won the fourth stage. With a one minute lead, after 1hr 27mins I reached the finish in Palmajua. Now I am just drained. I don’t feel like running the last stage at all.
However there is one final stage and its 17miles (27,4km) long. Every day it has become harder to motivate myself. Phone calls to Georg Lanzinger (Lenzing Profilen) who always had helpful words for each stage of the race, and a longer phone call to my support team at home helped me to focus on what was important. Now at the latest it is clear that the body alone cannot win this race, it is the mental strength that decides between winning and losing.
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Friday 7th November 2008 - Fifth stage:
“Somehow you always manage a bit more”, I thought to myself during today’s final stage. Today it was tight. 17 miles uphill and above all downhill on a tarmac forestry road through the villages at the foot of the Himalayas was also a challenge for Paul the London Marathon runner who was in second position and in which he gave maximum performance.
After 20 km I still couldn’t leave my opponents behind me. I was thinking of abandoning the last stage victory in view of the fact that I had won the whole race anyway. It would have been so easy.
However “a race is only finished after crossing the finishing line, up until then you can still see what you can do”. I once more summoned up my own personal challenge, “and applied pressure for the last time”, and…
…..with two minutes lead to my opponent I crossed the finishing line and won the fifth stage.
2 hrs 6mins – that is a record time for this 17 mile stage. Happiness, exhaustion, joy –the thoughts after the finishing line- are indescribable.
“…..above the clouds there is no limit to running!”
One of my mottos as a last sentence: “you are born to be successful. No one can stop you except you yourself”
Thank you to all my sponsors, especially the main sponsor, which enabled me to participate in this race:
LENZING PROFILEN Sportswear®
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