01/05/2026
So I ran the Manjushree Trail Race. 22.38 km, 1,963 m of elevation gain, through some of the most unforgiving trails Nepal has to offer. 5 hours and 33 minutes of mud, sweat, and pure stubbornness.
And I did it with a broken thumb.
I won’t pretend it was easy. Stairs and uphills that never seemed to end, one after another, and somewhere on those never ending uphills and staircases that just kept going and going, I asked myself about seventeen times “why the f**k did I sign up for this.” Both thighs cramped up hard on the Chandragiri climb. The kind of cramps where you just stop, stare at the ground, and have a quiet word with yourself… “why the f**k did i sign up for this… again.”
And then finally, the uphill was done. The legs loosened up a little. The breathing settled. For a few minutes, it actually felt good.
That lasted about ten minutes.
Then the ITB band started flaring on the downhill after Chiltlang road and every single step down became its own little nightmare. And on top of that, my only real concern wasn’t the pain or the pace. It was “whatever you do, do not fall on that hand.” Every loose rock, every steep drop, just trying to protect a thumb that had no business being out here.
There were moments where stopping felt like the only logical option. But you keep moving. One step at a time.
What got me wasn’t the finish line. It was realizing somewhere in the middle of all that pain that I was actually doing it. Broken thumb, cramping thighs, ITB screaming on every descent, but still moving forward.
Trail running has this way of humbling you completely and filling you up at the same time. These trails don’t care about your injuries. They just ask if you’re willing to show up.
I showed up. 🤙
A huge thank you to Manjushree Trail Race for putting together such an incredible race and giving us a reason to get out and run these trails. The organization, the route, the energy... you made something special. Grateful to everyone who cheered, crewed, and believed along the way. 🙏
This won’t be the last one.
50 km next year. 🏔️
