Our organization “Himalayan Run & Trek Pvt. Ltd.” Is only official travel partner from India for the Thunder Dragon Marathon and Half Marathon. The tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is a unique country with its own fascinating culture and identity. Geographically remote with an idiosyncratic approach to tourism, Bhutan is not an easy country to visit. Nevertheless it remains a ‘hot’ tourist destination high on most people’s travel bucket list and with good reason. It’s a country that fascinates and enthrals all who make the journey for the first time.
Running in Bhutan is not easy either. With the altitude and the undulations of its course, the Thunder Dragon races are challenging but with no cut-offs everyone usually finishes their race distance. Last year we had a record field, a mix of international runners and local athletes – and the event and trip go from strength to strength. We are delighted that it remains the pre-eminent race on the Bhutanese running calendar, which although modest is growing quickly.
If you are new to Bhutan, you should know that it is an exclusive destination that limits the number of non-Indian international tourists it allows into the country in any year. This is done largely by pricing, with every tour operator required to pay a minimum daily rate to be in the country. That fee covers accommodation, food, travel and the services of a guide. Part of that minimum daily rate goes into a government Sustainable Development Fund (SDF), which is effectively a tourist tax, but it is still an expensive country to visit.
The Thunder Dragon Marathon and Half Marathon are closed events for the independence travellers and there is no entry to runners who are in Bhutan independently or with other travel companies. There are no entry-only options other than for local runners, who don’t pay to enter anyway. Also Indian runners can book the trip only through us.
The tour is based on a full-board basis. Meals are generally served as a buffet with a selection of fresh vegetables, Bhutan’s specialty ‘Red Rice’ and one or two meat dishes. Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free diets can be catered for quite easily. Breakfast and dinner are generally taken in the hotel, lunch is usually served at a local restaurant.
Our main hotel in Paro will be the Udumwara Hotel, which is where the marathon and half-marathon starts and finishes or the Tigers Nest Hotel. As most hotels in Bhutan are relatively small, it is likely we will also use similar hotels in the same broad location depending on the overall size of our group.
We occasionally have requests for 4-star or 5-star hotel upgrades. While this is possible, Bhutan has a wide array of luxury 5-star hotels, it is not something we recommend as clients who upgrade often find themselves separated from the main group in the evenings. We can nevertheless provide quotes on hotel upgrades.
The race route starts at the Udumwara hotel, underneath the cliff that the Tiger’s Nest is built into, although you are running away from the Tiger’s Nest and you can’t see it from the start. The route is approximately half road surface and half farm trails. On the full marathon there is a 4km section of single track which is rocky in sections.
The first 8km are on road surfaces and slightly downhill alongside the Paro Chu (river). At 8km the half marathon splits off to the right and makes its way up and behind Paro Dzong. The full marathon carries straight on with a long and gradual climb alongside the Wang Chu (river) on farm tracks above rice fields.
At 18km the marathon route crosses the river and returns towards Paro on the other side on a gentle downhill gradient to 25km. Here, the route has the toughest climb, for about 4km on road, rising above the Paro National Museum, then on single track for 1km to the highest point of the race at 2,560m.
Dropping back down to the Paro Chu the marathon and half marathon re-join beneath Paro Dzong to cross the famous wooden bridge. The last 10km for both distances are on a gradual but long uphill climb on a mix of road and wide farm track, rising above Paro Chu, with views of the river and rice fields, before dropping into the finish back at Udumwara for the last kilometre.
The total height gain on the marathon is 995m and for the half 450m. The altitude at the start is 2400m and at the lowest point, in Paro Town, is 2200m.
