Nawang Tsering is the local Lingshed hero who inspired our children in the Himalaya to start running. He helped create and directs our Singela race which we hope will lure outside runners to Lingshed to generate income for locals. He won the Ladakh Marathon three years in a row – a race that attracts thousands of runners from all over the world and was on a list of “top 6 Destination Marathons in the world” – yet remains incredibly humble.
Because of his amazing stamina, the Ladakh marathon organizers encouraged Nawang to try Ultra races. With only two months of training he ran his first ultra in December – 93km – which was also his first trail race. With no points, he had to start in the back of over 900 racers and gradually work his way passed others on narrow mountain trails. Three quarters of the way through the race, the battery on his Garmin watch died so he lost the course, eventually finding his way back after losing precious time and energy. In spite of all this, he came in 12th place!
Yesterday Nawang ran his second ultra – the Silk Route Ultra Trail. This time he had been training for months and had a watch built for ultras. It was a 102km race that ascended a total of 21,952 feet and descended 24,035 feet. The weather was so bad and the trail so grueling that only 6 athletes completed the course within the 26-hour limit. Not only did Nawang win the race in 15 hours and 31 minutes, he shattered the previous course record by almost 4 hours!!! (3 hours and 57 minutes). This qualifies Nawang for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Spain – September 27, 2025. No wonder the Lingshed children look up to this man!!
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