Half-distance Xtreme Triathlon
in Nepal
23 November 2024
1.9 km swim
90 km bike
21km run
RACE DAY ENTRY - 285 euros
OR
FULL PACKAGE - 9 NIGHTS/10 DAYS - 1,530 euros
XTRI World Tour
Solo Point Five Series.
Made for individual athletes.
No requirement for crew as
aid stations/support provided.
THE SWIM
Swim Segment - 1.9 kilometres
Water temp: 17 to 20 Degrees Celsius
Wetsuit/skins required
THE BIKE
Bike Segment - 89 kilometres
2,300 metres of
overall elevation gain
THE RUN
Run Segment
21 kilometres
1,300 metres of
overall elevation gain
BIKE COURSE
Note: Traffic drives on the left side of the road in Nepal. Riders must stay on the left side of the road at all times during the race, and adhere to local road traffic rules. Riders must also take direction from the race marshalls out on the course.
The bike route goes through Lakeside and Pokhara from T1. The road is in good condition for the first 7 kilometres, mostly wide, and will be very quiet at the time of the race on Saturday morning. Marshalls wearing high-visibility jackets will be present at junctions to give directions.
The road narrows from 7 kilometres to 9 kilometres and there are some small broken patches and occasional potholes on this section. At 9 kilometres, riders then cross the Yamdi bridge on to a new section of very good-quality road surface, three lanes wide in each direction. There is a long climb on this section, but riders should be rewarded with fabulous views of the Annapurna range in front and to the right at this time of the year.
A tough climb then starts at 21,25 kilometres with gradients of between 5% and 15% as the road switchbacks up to the village of Nagdanda at kilometre 25.75.
The route then takes a sharp left turn on to a narrower stretch of road for the next 20 kilometres. This next section goes past some small villages and the road surface has some broken patches that will be well marked in advance with warnings. This section of road is open to traffic but is quiet throughout the morning on Saturdays. Local communities will be informed of race day and there will be marshalls across this section to warn any traffic, plus frequent race signage.
The route ends in a loop up to the Sarangkot viewpoint before returning to Nagdanda and back onto the wide two-lane road. This section continues climbing up to Kande at kilometre 53 and the highest point on the bike course at 1,750 metres above sea level.
The road then descends for the next 17 kilometres down to 800 metres above sea level, and a turnaround, before climbing back to the village of Nayapul at kilometre 80. There is a sharp left turn into Nayapul, and a short neutral zone of 200 metres where all riders will be required to slow as the race team will marshall riders past 4 road speed bumps and the Annapurna Conservation Area police checkpoint.
The race course then continues on a narrower asphalt road winding its way upwards on a beautiful tree-lined route next to the glacial Modi River, also past terraced fields, to T2 at Klui. This section of the road will be closed to traffic from 10.00 to 14.00 on the day of the race.
Aid and refreshment stations will be provided at kilometres 21, 25, 45, 53, 72, 82 and at T2.
Bikes will be left mounted on the bike stands provided at T2 and will be safely returned by the race organisation to a secure location in Pokhara for collection on Sunday 4th or Monday 5th after the race.
RUN COURSE
The Run section begins with 2 kilometres of asphalt surface before turning on to dirt and stone jeep track. There are views of the Annapurna mountain range across almost all of the run segment, including Mt Fishtail and several huge waterfalls close to the run trail and facing from across the deep valley. There may be some shallow streams in flow to cross.
The dirt and stone jeep track continues from kilometre 2 to 14. The course then changes to single file forest trail at 14 kilometres. This will include some steep dirt and stone step sections on the uphill, plus small sections of downhill comprising stone and tree roots over the next 3 kilometres.
The final 4 kilometres is back on dirt and stone jeep track to the finish in the village of Ghandruk.
Trail running shoes with gripping lugs on the soles are highly recommended.
The run course will be well marked and marshalled.
Aid stations will be provided at kilometres 2, 4, 6.5, 8.7, 13, 14.5, 17, 19.5 and at the finish.
There is a small list of mandatory gear for safety reasons for the run segment.
A light backpack
Headtorch with spare batteries
Light rain jacket/windbreaker
Fully charged phone with race organisation number stored
A drinking cup/refillable flask (no plastic cups or bottles will be distributed at the aid stations on the run segment).
Recommended
A hat/buff, sunglasses, sunscreen, energy bars/gels, a big smile
Extract from a film of the long-distance HimalayanXtri by Otto Norin
This SOLO half-distance xtreme triathlon event is for those athletes wanting to compete individually, without the need for a support crew, and for those looking for a challenging race that requires a special commitment but is less demanding than the full long-distance HimalayanXtri.
This half-distance race is designed to complement the XTRI World Tour full-distance HimalayanXtri Xtreme Triathlon, which is a World Championship qualifying race, also offering coveted slots to fellow XTRI partner race Norseman.
We hope the Solo Point Five race will be a challenging but fulfilling and rewarding introduction to the world of XTRI Xtreme Triathlon.
See here for the long-distance race
scheduled for 11th May 2024.
Some big differences - The Solo Point Five is (as it sounds) a SOLO event.
No requirement for a support crew. The race organisation is able to
provide aid stations and support for this half-distance event.
ORGANISING TEAM
Co-founders/Co-Race Directors,
Ricky Yonzon and Jamie Ross Mackenzie
Volunteer Group Leader and Head of Safety, Rabin Vanje
Head of Hospitality and Event Manager, Diwas Yonzon
Race Ambassador - Nepali triathlete Sony Gurung
EXCLUSIVE FINISHER’S SHIRT AWAITS
