World’s highest marathon records set
Athletes and organisers celebrate the World’s Highest Marathon on Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. ©WHM
The International Skyrunning Federation is pleased to announce the success of the world’s highest marathon, Vertical Kilometer® and ultra marathon which took place on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania on May 9, 2022.
Swiss skyrunning champion and ambassador, Roberto Delorenzi, set all three records in the World’s Highest Marathon, sanctioned by the ISF.
The women’s record for the three distances goes to Sandi Menchi Abahan from the Philippines.
Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the world’s highest free-standing mountain, summiting at 5,895m on Uhuru Peak. A dormant volcano, it is the tallest in Africa and the Eastern Hemisphere.
The records? See below for the results of the top three men and women of the three events.
Swiss skyrunning world champion, Roberto Delorenzi, on his way to winning all three events. ©Roberto Delorenzi
Delorenzi is a multiple skyrunning champion with an incredible CV which includes gold, silver and bronze medals in the Youth Skyrunning World Championships, a bronze medal for the Vertical in the 2020 Skyrunning World Championships and winner of the first 2021 VK OPEN Championships.
Delorenzi commented, “This was a fantastic experience! I’ve never been at such high altitude and was a little worried about how my body would react, but the acclimatisation was perfect and day after day I could see that my heart rate was slowing to a normal pace.”
“The race started in the middle of the night with head lamps. I started with a good pace and arrived at the top in 1h17′. Since I had a very good advantage, I started the descent quite relaxed and as soon as the sun rose, I could enjoy the view and stop from time to time to take some pictures. The fascinating thing is that the more you go down, the more the landscape changes with various climate zones in the span of a few kilometres! I wasn’t sure I was on the right path and lost almost an hour, but I managed to win anyway! I’m so proud to be the record holder!”
The world’s highest free standing mountain, Kilimanjaro, 5,895m, site of the three world record attempts. ©WHM
Indian Kam Kaur, second woman in the marathon, commented, “I have learnt so much from this experience, it’s definitely not for the feint hearted. The mixed terrain and the altitude, the relentless ups and downs. I would say this is not just the world’s highest marathon but also the hardest marathon. If anyone like me loves to see how far I can push myself then this is one for sure is one for you.”
The races were organised by World’s Highest Marathon owned by E P Global Events Limited. In a week-long context of ascent and acclimatisation, the participants took on one, two or all three races on the last day. On reaching 4,895m, the events kicked off with the World’s Highest Vertical Kilometer® – a gruelling 3.5 km with 1,000m vertical climb to the summit of Uhuru Peak, 5,895m.
From here, the World’s Highest Marathon descended for a total distance of 42.2 km counting 1,836m vertical climb. From the summit, the downhill is a demanding 3,700m.
At 4,315m altitude, the acclimatisation is nearly complete. Just another 580m to the start. ©WHM
With another 11.4 km downhill reaching 53.6 km, the World’s Highest Ultra Marathon record was set. The total descent of this race is a jaw-dropping 4,800m.
This is the first time in mountain running history that such an arduous attempt has taken place at this altitude. Apart from sanctioning the events, the ISF awarded the three races the Certified Course label which is based on a number of skyrunning parameters, together with the GPX course data and an exclusive algorithm.
A further analysis was carried out, again implementing a unique algorithm, to provide the projected finishing times and calorie consumption for three categories: beginner, intermediate and best performance (male & female) for each race which enabled athletes to focus on their timing and act as a safety measure for staff.
High altitude pre-race briefing with organisers, local staff and athletes. ©WHM
Rob Edmond, Co-founder and Co-director World’s Highest Marathon, stated, ‘We had an amazing reception to this inaugural event, with the full backing of the Tanzanian Government and National Park Authorities to do something never done before, the news of our successes and achievements quickly spreading throughout the nation and beyond. We have created something special that we hope becomes world renowned for skyrunning and marathon enthusiasts – the ultimate bucket list marathon challenge’.
Dave Pickles, Founder and Director, World’s Highest Marathon, whose impressive experience counts leading groups of over 3,000 people, world record breaking events on Kilimanjaro and 61 summits. “The dream to hold the World’s Highest Marathon became a reality in May 2022 and saw eight nations being represented on the world’s highest free standing mountain. It is fascinating and inspiring to see human endeavour overcome hardship in such an austere environment where the fundamentals are difficult to perform. This could quite possibly be the hardest marathon in the world and we look forward to seeing more competitors join the event in May 2023.”
The date for your diary? May 14-24, 2023.
WORLD’S HIGHEST VERTICAL KILOMETER® RESULTS
Men
1. Roberto Delorenzi – SUI – 1h17’20”
2. Mussa Mwakyusa – TAN – 1h52’57”
3. Elias Tabac – PHI – 1h58’54”
Women
1. Sandi Menchi Abahan – PHI – 2h03’12”
2. Christobel Martes – PHI – 2h18’20”
3. Kam Kaur – IND – 3h01’03”
WORLD’S HIGHEST MARATHON RESULTS
Men
1. Roberto Delorenzi – SUI – 7h35’46”
2. Elias Tabac – PHI – 7h59’17”
3. Emmanuel Paulo – TAN – 8h54’29”
Women
1. Sandi Menchi Abahan – PHI – 9h00’50”
2. Kam Kaur – IND – 13h49’14”
WORLD’S HIGHEST ULTRA RESULTS
MEN
1. Roberto Delorenzi – SUI – 8h52’31”
2. Elias Tabac – PHI – 9h24’24”
3. Emmanuel Paulo – TAN – 10h43’56”
Women
1. Sandi Menchi Abahan – PHI – 11h03’22”
For more info and to enter the 2023 races: www.worldshigestmarathon.com
PRESS RELEASE MARCH 2ND 2022
E.P. Global Events Limited and owned brands World’s Highest OCR and ALTITUDE OCR of Suite 1, Burns House, 19 Town Range, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA announce suspension of all Russian professional and amateur athletes for its events in 2022.
Considering the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine including the death and continued suffering of people of Ukraine, E.P. Global Events Limited has taken the decision to suspend all Russian professional and amateur athletes from its events in 2022 and to be revised in January 2023.
We believe through World’s Highest Values that the preservation and promotion of peace, increasing quality of life and the protection of innocence and the vulnerable is paramount and should never be compromised.
Sport is a sanctuary for all and does also acknowledge world events that destroys lives.
We also acknowledge that good human beings are not defined by flag or nationality. Our September 2021 World Record breaking event on Kilimanjaro included two Russians who were a fantastic part of the team and a real pleasure to get to know. Their personal values and who they were shone through and are still great ambassadors for who they are, their Families and what they believe in.
Too many times in history, has inaction proved devastating.
Our prayers and hearts are with the Ukrainian people, and we sincerely hope for a continued better future for all.
For any questions or if you want to contact E.P. Global Events Limited on this matter:
FISO Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
2021 Altitude OCR World Championships
World’s Highest OCR announces participation of the POSF Philippine National Team
World’s Highest OCR endorsed as the official Altitude OCR World Championships
Lausanne, Switzerland: World Obstacle, the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO), announced today the launch of the 2021 Altitude OCR World Championships, scheduled from September 12th to 21st, 2021 on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, exclusively run by E. P. Global Events Ltd under the brand & event name World’s Highest OCR, an international extreme altitude sports and OCR race producer and promoter.
This ultimate OCR challenge brings together the colossal elements of Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents, and Obstacle Course Racing to create the ultimate bucket list challenge on the Roof of Africa. Participants conquer the world’s highest free-standing mountain to earn their place as part of the World Record group for the World’s Highest OCR with an extraordinary obstacle course race in the volcanoes’ crater. All participants can then enter the 2-day timed descent as a time trial race down the mountain.
“The World’s Highest OCR provides international participants the chance to experience the most challenging and stunning landscape Africa has to offer” said EP Global Events co-founder, Mr. Robert Edmond. “The challenge requires participants to ascend Mt. Kilimanjaro in stages for safety, acclimatising to the 5,985m summit before descending into the crater, moving through the obstacle course and finally the speed decent.”
EP Global Events co-founder Mr. Dave Pickles added “The World’s Highest OCR will employ 400 local staff, providing benefit to their extended families and the local community. The event will have a wide and enduring positive impact, elevating the lives of thousands of people in the region.”
“The World’s Highest OCR provides a unique adventure challenge for obstacle athletes and real value to the local population” said FISO President, Mr. Ian Adamson “This event satisfies many of our higher goals as a sport, including making better humans and generating positive economic impact. EP Global Events has a proven record with excellent reviews from athletes globally and is a natural fit with World Obstacle.”
About World’s Highest OCR
With over 45 years of combined adventure event experience and uncompromised commitment to safety, the World’s Highest OCR is taking obstacle racing to the next level.
About World Obstacle
World Obstacle, the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) is the international governing body for obstacle sports and related disciplines, representing the needs of Adventure Racers, Ninja Athletes and Obstacle Course Racers worldwide. It is an independent association composed of national member federations and their athletes in over 100 countries.
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POSF Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
2021 Altitude OCR World Championships
World’s Highest OCR announces participation of the POSF Philippine National Team
World’s Highest OCR an international extreme altitude sports and OCR race producer and promoter, welcomes the official Philippine ALTITUDE OCR Team of four to the 2021 Altitude OCR World Championships, scheduled from September 12th to 21st, 2021 on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
The Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation, the national governing body for obstacle sports in the Philippines, shall send four members of its national team, two male and two female elite athletes, to compete in the first ever ALTITUDE OCR World Championships, exclusively organized and run by the E.P. Global Events Limited brand, World’s Highest OCR.
There are currently 18 Countries being represented including 6 continents.
This ultimate OCR challenge brings together the colossal elements of Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents, and Obstacle Course Racing to create the ultimate bucket list challenge on the Roof of Africa. Participants conquer the world’s highest free-standing mountain to earn their place as part of the World Record group for the World’s Highest OCR with an extraordinary obstacle course race in the volcanoes’ crater. All participants can then enter the 2-day timed speed descent as a time trial race down the mountain.
“The World’s Highest OCR provides international participants the chance to experience the most challenging and stunning landscape Africa has to offer” said EP Global Events co-founder, Mr. Robert Edmond. “The challenge requires participants to ascend Mt. Kilimanjaro in stages for safety, acclimatising to the 5,985m summit before descending into the crater, moving through the obstacle course and finally the speed decent.”
EP Global Events co-founder Mr. Dave Pickles added “The World’s Highest OCR will employ 400 local staff, providing benefit to their extended families and the local community. The event will have a wide and enduring positive impact, elevating the lives of thousands of people in the region.”
“The World’s Highest OCR provides a unique adventure challenge for obstacle athletes and real value to the local population” said FISO President, Mr. Ian Adamson “This event satisfies many of our higher goals as a sport, including making better humans and generating positive economic impact. EP Global Events has a proven record with excellent reviews from athletes globally and is a natural fit with World Obstacle.”
“Our national athletes are immensely excited to compete in this first-of-its-kind event and in future events that will organized by E.P. Global Events,” said POSF President, Alberto Agra.
About World’s Highest OCR
With over 45 years of combined adventure event experience and uncompromised commitment to safety, the World’s Highest OCR is taking obstacle racing to the next level.
About Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation (POSF)
POSF is the National Sports Association governing Obstacle Sports recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission, and affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) or World Obstacles and Obstacles Sports Federation Asia Pacific, and the International Parkour Union, Asia Freerunning Parkour Union and East Asia and Southeast Asia Freerunning Parkour Union. In the Philippines, Obstacle Sports has four disciplines, namely, Obstacle Course Racing, Ninja Compeitions, Adventure Racing and Parkour. POSF serves four sectors, that its, the able-bodied, Para-athletes, youth/ kids/ students, and seniors/ masters. POSF advocates building better humans and Obstacle Sports-for-All-Everywhere. (www.posf.ph)
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