Ladakh Marathon
The world's highest marathon — and the only Indian race where altitude, not pace, is the whole problem.
Dates, entry fees and routes change every year. This page deliberately does not publish a date — a wrong one costs somebody a race they trained six months for. Confirm the current year's date, entry window, fee and course on the official organiser's website before you plan anything around it.
What kind of race it is
Run out of Leh at roughly 3,500 metres, with the Khardung La Challenge ultra starting far higher still. This is not a race you enter casually. The organisers require days of acclimatisation in Leh before the event, and that requirement exists because altitude sickness at these elevations is a medical emergency, not an inconvenience.
The course
High, dry, exposed and beautiful. The marathon route runs through the villages and along the Indus valley around Leh; the ultra crosses one of the highest motorable passes in the world.
Conditions
Thin air, intense sun, cold shade and a very wide day-night temperature swing. Expect to run substantially slower than your sea-level pace — the reduction is large and it is not a failure of fitness.
How to approach it
Arrive early and acclimatise for as many days as the organisers require, without exception. Forget your normal pace entirely, drink more than feels necessary, and be prepared to stop. This is the one Indian race where the sensible plan is to finish rather than to compete.
Distances offered
Category names and cut-off times vary between editions. Official information: Rimo Expeditions / Ladakh Marathon organising team.
Training for the Ladakh Marathon
Free, complete, week-by-week plans — pick the one that matches what you can currently do, not what you would like to be able to do.
Questions
When is the Ladakh Marathon?
It has traditionally been held in September. This site does not publish a specific date because race dates move every year — check the Rimo Expeditions / Ladakh Marathon organising team website for the current year's date and entry window.
What distances does the Ladakh Marathon offer?
Typically Full marathon, Half marathon, 11 km run, Khardung La Challenge (ultra). The exact category list can change between editions, so confirm with the organiser.
Is the Ladakh Marathon course hard?
High, dry, exposed and beautiful. The marathon route runs through the villages and along the Indus valley around Leh; the ultra crosses one of the highest motorable passes in the world.
What are conditions like at the Ladakh Marathon?
Thin air, intense sun, cold shade and a very wide day-night temperature swing. Expect to run substantially slower than your sea-level pace — the reduction is large and it is not a failure of fitness.
How should I train for it?
Arrive early and acclimatise for as many days as the organisers require, without exception. Forget your normal pace entirely, drink more than feels necessary, and be prepared to stop. This is the one Indian race where the sensible plan is to finish rather than to compete.
Race characteristics are described from the event's established, published character; no date, fee or course guarantee is made here. Every time, pace and physiological figure on this site is computed from a published formula, and the formula is named and shown on the method page. Nothing here is predicted by a model you cannot check. Race details change — always confirm dates, routes and entry with the official organiser. Training guidance is general information, not individual coaching or medical advice.