THE
GREAT
HIMALAYAN

MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING

SATURDAY, 24 AUGUST 2025

600kms LEH-KARGIL-DRAS-LEH
444kms LEH-KARGIL-LEH

Inspire India brings you the world's highest ultracycle race!

With a start point elevation higher than any point on any Ultracycle Race in the world, The Great Himalayan is the World’s highest Ultracycle race.

Biting winds, punishing gradients, breathless altitudes, and silence so vast it echos strength. The landscapes, the challenge, the journey, THE GREAT HIMALAYAN is unlike anything else.

Get ready to push your limits in the most breathtaking way!

Register Now ->

The World's Highest RAAM Qualifier

Qualify for Race Across America through our Solo Crew Supported and Solo Self Supported Formats in the 600km Ultra!

The 600km Ultra can also be attempted in RAAM Style Relay format where 2/3/4 racers take turns to ride the entire course.

Looking to enjoy the Himalayas on your own steam? The 444km 2-stage self-supported race is the way to go. The out-and-back race has stage-break night-halt in Kargil to recharge before heading back to Leh.

444km The Great Himalayan
2025 DRAFT Route

The Great Himalayan 444km Solo Self-Supported

The 444km Solo Self-Supported is a two-stage sefl-supported race. With no support crew and vehicle requirement, and minimal support from the organisers, enjoy the serene Himalayas on your own steam! The 444km self-supported is NOT a RAAM Qualifier, racers wishing to qualify for RAAM may opt to race the 600km Ultra Self-Supported.

Racers will be flagged-off mass-start style for the first stage at Leh Main Gate. Racers will go over two high mountain passes to reach Kargil where stage 1 ends. After arriving in Kargil, racers enjoy a full night's rest before being flagged-off mass-start style for second stage in Kargil. Racers will ride the same route back to Leh to complete the second stage. The cumulative timing of both stages will determine podiums.

Category Code	Category	Stage 1 Cut Off	Stage 2 Cut Off
E	Women 50+	17:00:00	17:00:00
F	Women 18-49	16:00:00	16:00:00
G	Men 50+	16:00:00	16:00:00
H	Men 18-49	15:00:00	15:00:00

Categories and Timings are based on Racing Age and Gender. (Racing Age is the age each Racer will turn during the calendar year of the race i.e. year of race minus birth year)

600km The Great Himalayan Ultra
2025 DRAFT Route

Ultra 600km Solo Self-Supported

Starting 2024, the Great Himalayan Ultra Solo Self-Supported is a RAAM Qualifier! With no support crew and vehicle requirement, and minimal support from the organisers, enjoy the serene Himalayas on your own steam!

Racers will be flagged-off mass-start style at Leh Main Gate. Racers will go over two high mountain passes to go through Kargil all the way to Drass. The coldest inhabited place on the planet - Drass - is the turn-around control and racers will head back to Kargil. Upon arrival, racers will be required to take a mandatory 3 hour rest break in Kargil. After completing their mandatory rest, racers will return to Leh to finish the race.

Category Code	Category	RQ Cut Off (Hrs)
E	Self Supported Women 50+	48:00:00
F	Self Supported Women 18-49	46:00:00
G	Self Supported Men 50+	46:00:00
H	Self Supported Men 18-49	44:00:00

Categories and Timings are based on Racing Age and Gender. (Racing Age is the age each Racer will turn during the calendar year of the race i.e. year of race minus birth year). RQ Cut-Off Timings include the 3 hour mandatory halt.

Ultra 600km Solo Crew-Supported

SOLO is just that…. Solo! Solo racers ride the entire distance, while their crew provides them with full support. Solo Racers at The Great Himalayan Ultra Qualify for The Race Across America if they finish within the RQ timings.

Racers will be flagged-off mass-start style at Leh Main Gate. Racers will go over two high mountain passes to go through Kargil all the way to Drass. The coldest inhabited place on the planet - Drass - is the turn-around control and racers will head back to Kargil. Upon arrival, racers will be required to take a mandatory 3 hour rest break in Kargil. After completing their mandatory rest, racers will return to Leh to finish the race.

Category Code	Category	RQ Cut Off (Hrs)
A	RQ Women 50+	44:00:00
B	RQ Women 18-49	42:00:00
C	RQ Men 50+	42:00:00
D	RQ Men 18-49	40:00:00

Categories and Timings are based on Racing Age and Gender. (Racing Age is the age each Racer will turn during the calendar year of the race i.e. year of race minus birth year). RQ Cut-Off Timings include the 3 hour mandatory halt.

Ultra 600km RAAM Style Relay

In the relay race, relay teams members take turns to ride the entire distance between their team. Teams have the freedom to decide how often you swap riders, how long each member rides and how much distance each covers. Teams can comprise of 2, 3, or 4 team members. While racers do the job of riding the entire distance, the crew support them for all their needs. This is really a fun event, to enjoy the route, challenge yourself, while you share the distance with your buddies. Head on the the resources page to learn more about this format and access the numerous documents, videos, and presentations explaining this format in detail.

Racers will be flagged-off mass-start style at Leh Main Gate. Racers will go over two high mountain passes to go through Kargil all the way to Drass. The coldest inhabited place on the planet - Drass - is the turn-around control and racers will head back to Kargil. Upon arrival, racers will be required to take a mandatory 3 hour rest break in Kargil. After completing their mandatory rest, racers will return to Leh to finish the race.

Category Code	Category	Cut Off (Hrs)
1	All Women 50+	42:00:00
2	All Women 35-49	41:00:00
3	All Women 18-34	40:00:00
4	Mixed 50+	40:00:00
5	All Men 50+	40:00:00
6	Mixed 35-49	39:00:00
7	All Men 35-49	39:00:00
8	Mixed 18-34	38:00:00
9	All Men 18-34	38:00:00

Categories and Timings are based on Team Age and Gender. Team Age is the average racing age of all Team members (total number of years divided by 2, 3, or 4 depending on team size). Racing Age is the age each Racer will turn during the calendar year of the race (year of race minus birth year). For a team to be classified as a mixed team, the team must have at least one female team member. Cut-Off Timings include the 3 hour mandatory halt.

900km The Great Himalayan Extreme
2025 DRAFT Route

Extreme 900km Solo Crew-Supported

The 900 Extreme is open only to crew-supported racers and upon invitation only. Solo racers ride the entire distance, while their crew provides them with full support. Solo Racers at The Great Himalayan Ultra Qualify for The Race Across America if they finish within the RQ timings.

Given the high altitude of the race, the race is organised in a unique format. Racers will be flagged off before the 600km Ultra race and will get 21 hours to finish the first 300km of the route. Then after a minimum 3 hour halt, racers will be flagged off again alongside the 600km race. Just like the 600km racers, there will be a second mandatory 3 hour night halt in Kargil. Read route and timing details for more information.

To register an interest and receive an invite, please fill out a form below and our team will reach out to you:https://www.inspireindia.net.in/900extreme

Categories and Timings are under review. Please fill out the expression of interest above and someone from our team will reach out to you.

Extreme 900km RAAM Style Relay

In the relay race, relay teams members take turns to ride the entire distance between their team. Teams have the freedom to decide how often you swap riders, how long each member rides and how much distance each covers. Teams can comprise of 2, 3, or 4 team members. While racers do the job of riding the entire distance, the crew support them for all their needs. This is really a fun event, to enjoy the route, challenge yourself, while you share the distance with your buddies. Head on the the resources page to learn more about this format and access the numerous documents, videos, and presentations explaining this format in detail.

Given the high altitude of the race, the race is organised in a unique format. Racers will be flagged off before the 600km Ultra race and will get 21 hours to finish the first 300km of the route. Then after a minimum 3 hour halt, racers will be flagged off again alongside the 600km race. Just like the 600km racers, there will be a second mandatory 3 hour night halt in Kargil. Read route and timing details for more information.

To register an interest and receive an invite, please fill out a form below and our team will reach out to you:https://www.inspireindia.net.in/900extreme

Categories and Timings are under review. Please fill out the expression of interest above and someone from our team will reach out to you.

Race Details

Start - Leh Main Gate, Leh, UT Ladakh (3500m above sea level)
Finish - Ruthpa Hotel, Leh, UT Ladakh
Distance - 444km | 600km | 900km
Highest Point: Fotu La Pass at 4108m above sea level (for 444km and 600km Ultra); Tanglang La Pass at 5328m above sea level (for 900km Extreme)
Start Date - 22nd Aug 2025 (900km Extreme), 23rd Aug 2025 (444km and 600km Ultra)
Elevation Gain - 8,313m (444km) | 10,338m (600km) | 14,480m (900km)

Friday 8 August: Mandatory Reporting for 900km Racers for Acclimatisation
Wednesday 13 August: Mandatory Reporting for 600km and 444km Racers and 900km Crew for Acclimatisation
Monday 18 August: Mandatory Reporting for 600 KM Crew for Acclimatisation (same for Officials)
Thursday 21 August: All inspections for Mandatory Pre-Race Requirements
Friday 22 August: 900km Extreme Race start
Saturday 23 August: 600km Ultra and 444km Races Start
Sunday 24 August evening onwards: All Races Finish
Monday 25 August noon onwards: Awards Ceremony and Lunch Party

Register Now

Race Schedule

Being a High Altitude Race, all racers, crew members, and officials will be required (mandatory) to report in Leh according to the following schedule. While this is for us to establish that racers get the bare minimum acclimatization, it is highly recommended that racers arrive 14-16 days in advance to ensure that they acclimatize satisfactorily. This is particularly necessary if racers are flying directly into Leh. Racers may choose to reach Srinagar or Manali and drive to Leh in order to have a slower transition to high altitude.

The Great Himalayan starts and ends in Leh, Ladakh. Resources are scarce in this region of the country and racers will need to make plans ahead of time towards securing accommodation, vehicles, crew members, as well as making travel arrangements. We have local liasons in Leh who will support our racers towards all these requirements.

Get in touch with our partners in Leh toady:

Greeshma: +91 99706 57647

Kaustubh: +91 86555 39525

Rules and Regulations

Head over to the General Rules and Regulations section to read the detailed Rules and Regulations for the event.

THE GREAT HIMALAYAN

MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING

SATURDAY, 24 AUGUST 2025

600kms LEH-KARGIL-DRAS-LEH 444kms LEH-KARGIL-LEH

Inspire India brings you the world's highest ultracycle race!

The World's Highest RAAM Qualifier

444km The Great Himalayan 2025 DRAFT Route

The Great Himalayan 444km Solo Self-Supported

Categories and Timings are based on Racing Age and Gender. (Racing Age is the age each Racer will turn during the calendar year of the race i.e. year of race minus birth year)

Ultra 600km Solo Self-Supported

Categories and Timings are based on Racing Age and Gender. (Racing Age is the age each Racer will turn during the calendar year of the race i.e. year of race minus birth year). RQ Cut-Off Timings include the 3 hour mandatory halt.

Extreme 900km Solo Crew-Supported

Race Details

Race Schedule

Rules and Regulations

THE
GREAT
HIMALAYAN

600kms LEH-KARGIL-DRAS-LEH
444kms LEH-KARGIL-LEH

444km The Great Himalayan
2025 DRAFT Route