Join the Empower Challenge to challenge yourself and to empower women from disadvantaged backgrounds. Run or hike the Empower Marathon 42km or Empower 100km virtual courses through the Everest region in Nepal over the month of December in one or many sessions!

Nepal is modernising rapidly, but it remains a deeply patriarchal society. Life for women is hard, particularly in rural areas, where girls are expected to help rear animals, do house and farm work and raise siblings from a young age. Despite being illegal, child marriage is common, and as a result many girls leave school early. Very few have the opportunity to study, travel, choose careers and take control of their own destinies.

The Exchange and Empower Training and Education Scholarship run by the Mira Rai Initiative supports high-potential female athletes from Nepal from disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to focus on athletic training, education and professional development.

The program offers personalized coaching on trail and ultrarunning, 9 months’ housing and food allowance, small-group English lessons (supplementary to school or college), allowance for professional development including travel costs and entry fee to races around Nepal, NATHM trail guide certification, modest stipend for acting as part time coaches in Mira’s extracurricular sports programs in local schools in Nepal. Athletes will also have the opportunity to travel overseas for exchange and to participate in international races.

Since 2018, we have supported 10 athletes. For 2021, we have selected 6 athletes that we hope to support starting in January 2021. In order to do this, we need to raise HKD200,000 (US$26,000) for 2020. Due to COVID-19, we have lost many corporate sponsorships so we hope that you can help us realize this goal! Thank you so much for your support!
We would like to thank GB Ultra for their kindness and expertise in handling all the logistics for this challenge!
You’ll be able to track everyone’s progress as they take on this race!!

RACE COMMENCES on 1st DEC 8am HKT race fee HK$250 (£25) for both distances. The registration fee will all go towards this meaningful cause.