Based on the harsh natural environment and harsh climatic conditions in the Everest region, in order to ensure the safety of the contestants, the organizing committee will arrange local Sherpa mountain guides to accompany the athletes starting at the CP8 Namche site until the contestants return to Namche from the base camp again. This is also a way for us and the contestants to pay tribute to the historical contribution of the Sherpa people in the process of climbing Mount Everest.
Sherpa runners can be regarded as runners' partners. They can accompany runners through designated sections of the trail and provide rescue and assistance to runners in emergencies. Unless an emergency occurs, runners’ partners are not allowed to provide any physical or equipment assistance to runners. Even on the most difficult sections, runners still need to rely on their own strength and willpower to complete the race, including the process of self-navigation.
In order to avoid affecting the normal progress of the runners, the Sherpa runners use a mixed forward method with the runners, starting in a loop, distributed among multiple runners, and maintaining a certain distance before and after, rather than following closely.
Rules of Sherpa Runner:
1. Sherpa runners will be officially designated and must wear official clothing with a special bib numbers as runners’ partners.
2. Sherpa runners need to be directed by the leader of the running group of the organizing committee to decide the time and speed of the cycle departure, as well as the number of runners who need to pay attention to the designated running section.
3. Under normal circumstances, Sherpa runners must keep a certain distance from the runners and are not allowed to provide physical or equipment assistance to the runners.
4. Sherpa runners are not allowed to help competitors carry water, food, headlamps, shoes, clothing and other technical equipment on the track.
5. Respect nature. Any form of ecological damage is strictly prohibited, such as randomly discarding garbage and breaking trees.
6. Sherpa runners must comply with all competition rules as well.