#1 La Ultra

La Ultra is a saga in itself. A 333 km long run that has to be completed under 72 hours and if that’s not enough, one has to go through rocky mountains at 50% less oxygen level than the plains. The race takes place in the beautiful valley of Ladakh, a Trans Himalayan region in northern India.
The race is usually organized in the month of August and if that looks like a respite, then wait for an anti-climax. The temperature in the region during August may fluctuate between 40 degrees Celsius to minus 12 degrees Celsius and that too in just 6 hours. The race has three categories, 333 km, 222 km and 111 km and in all these categories, one has to go past an altitude of 17,500 feet 3, 2 and 1 times respectively.
The race is so difficult, that in the past 8 years only 123 runners from 23 different countries have participated in the event and only 72 have managed to complete the race.