The High: Making the Toughest Race on Earth

4 months ago
13

In 2010, a group of extreme runners—brought together by an adventure-obsessed race director—voluntarily embark on a bold running experiment across the two highest passes in the world. They're joined by a seasoned war journalist from The Christian Science Monitor. What begins as an ambitious expedition soon spirals into a series of unforeseen challenges that threaten not just the race, but their very lives.

The story opens with race director Rajat Chauhan, a New Delhi doctor whose failed dreams of becoming a professional runner fuel his obsession with pushing human limits. Inspired by a whimsical high-altitude weekend run, Rajat launches the experiment using Facebook and email to connect with extreme runners around the world. Out of twenty-seven interested candidates, only three make it to the starting line.

Molly Sheridan, an experienced ultra-marathoner from the U.S., signs on early—bringing along her partner and fellow endurance enthusiast, anti-aging scientist Bill Andrews. Together, they arrive in India filled with optimism and high-altitude plans for the future. From the U.K. comes Mark Cockbain, a veteran of some of the toughest foot races on earth, ready to add another brutal challenge to his résumé.

The race begins—but by day two, the experiment is already unraveling.

That’s when Ben Arnoldy, a war journalist based in New Delhi, joins the team. Hoping to escape the grim realities of conflict reporting in Afghanistan, Ben travels to Ladakh in search of a more uplifting story—only to find a disaster in progress. From wedding ceremonies at 18,000 feet to runners collapsing from dehydration and emergency hospital visits, Ben pieces together the fragments of a dream slipping away. He documents it all—until he too goes missing from the course.

With the race and its dream teetering on the edge, one question looms:
Will anyone finish—or will the race finish them all?

In that answer lies the reason it’s called the toughest race on Earth.

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