These are the steps you need to follow to join the Manaslu Trail Race.
1. Enquire
The pre-registration form is here. Check the itinerary, the fees, feedback from other runners first. If you feel the Manaslu Trail Race is for you, then fill the form and submit the information about your running experience, and any questions / queries you may have, and will invite you to complete the final registration form.
2. Register
We’ll send you a link to complete registration and deposit payment after successful pre-registration.
3. Book your flight
You need to arrive on Saturday as per the itinerary or earlier. The earliest day you should plan to leave is Friday morning, though we would recommend booking a day or so later so that you can enjoy Kathmandu’s strange and wonderful sights. If you’ve booked your flight, please add your flight details here.
4. Arrange insurance
You should ensure that your insurance covers hiking (but not climbing) at altitude (< 6000m) plus cover for helicopter evacuation, which is common. It is many days by trail and road to reach a well-functioning hospital, should it be necessary, making helicopter the preferred option. Some suggestions here. Please add your insurance details here via the form. This is obligatory!
5. Send a passport scan and photo
In order to process the paperwork for the permit Manaslu and the Annapurna Conservation Area, we need a scan of the biodata page of your passport, and an electronic passport photograph which we can print for the permits (we need 4 in total). For the latter, just upload a photo of yourself that conforms to passport rules – white background, well lit, head and shoulders in view, picture taken from eye level etc. Here’s the form to upload them. Deadline is 15th October.
6. Accommodation requirements
Let us know if you prefer a single room in Kathmandu so we can try to manage it on a first ask, first served basis. A single supplement of US$120 will apply for the three hotel nights. We’ll also try to match like minded people (from the information you provide) when sharing. Let us know if you wish to share with someone specifically. Also please inform us if you will need extra nights booking in Kathmandu (we can book and you pay on check out). We can suggest other hotels in Kathmandu to stay before and after the race to give you a range of experiences in different areas of the city, though we ask you to contact them directly for rates, availability and bookings.
7. Dietary needs
If you have allergies, or can’t or prefer not to eat certain types of foods, please let us know by filling in the dietary requirements form.
8. Medical
We use a very comprehensive online form, which is quick and easy to use. The results are sent directly to our race medic. Here’s the link to the medical questionnaire which is hosted on our trailrunningnepal.org site.
9. Packing
Practice packing your portered/carried bag. Check the equipment list. Keep your packing to the essentials only and under 10kg, as our porter/mule support team also have to cover the route you run, but carrying those bags…. Less is more in this case. Consider wearing a merino wool base-layer instead of synthetic t-shirts and shaving your armpits to avoid armpit odour issues.
10. Sign the disclaimer
Before you run, we’ll need to ask you to sign a disclaimer form. You can do this online here: Manaslu Trail Race waiver form or in Kathmandu.
11. Prepare your visa application
You can get a tourist visa on arrival, but need to fill out a form beforehand. Here is the online visa application form.
For everything else, you can find more information on our FAQs, and participants will be sent a comprehensive info pack in plenty of time before the event.