Greek endurance athlete Asimina Inglezou completed Nepal’s Great Himalaya Trail on foot in 52 days, 6 hours and 23 minutes in 2024, earning the Guinness World Records title for the fastest female completion of the route. She undertook the challenge as part of the 2024 Great Himal Race, a demanding west-to-east crossing of Nepal that began in Hilsa and finished in the Kanchenjunga region. The journey took her through remote Himalayan landscapes, steep mountain terrain and routes involving substantial elevation changes. The event required participants to maintain their progress over several weeks while navigating challenging conditions. Inglezou’s achievement placed her among the athletes who completed the demanding Himalayan crossing and made her the first woman to reach the finish during that edition of the race.
Asimina Inglezou crossed Nepal’s Great Himalaya Trail on foot in 52 days
Guinness World Records officially recognises Asimina Inglezou for the fastest completion of the Great Himalaya Trail on foot by a female. Her recorded time was 52 days, 6 hours and 23 minutes, with the achievement taking place in Nepal between 9 April and 31 May 2024. Inglezou completed the journey during the Great Himal Race, which brought together endurance athletes attempting to cross the country’s Himalayan region. The Guinness record identifies the specific category as a female achievement completed on foot. This distinction is important because the Great Himalaya Trail consists of a network of routes rather than one single, uniformly marked path. Inglezou’s record therefore relates to the official category and the conditions under which the crossing was completed.
The race began in western Nepal
The 2024 Great Himal Race started in Hilsa, in western Nepal, and continued towards the Kanchenjunga region in the east. The event organiser, Les Chevaliers du Vent, described the route as covering approximately 1,602 kilometres, with around 90,310 metres of positive elevation gain and 88,817 metres of descent. The journey was designed as a west-to-east crossing through the Nepalese Himalayas, bringing participants across varied mountain environments. Competitors were given flexibility in choosing their routes, meaning that their individual journeys could differ in distance, elevation and the trails they followed. The route passed through remote regions and included sections where traditional mountain paths had been affected by road construction and changing local infrastructure.
Participants navigated challenging Himalayan terrain
Unlike a conventional race that follows one fixed course, the Great Himal Race allowed participants to select routes through the Himalayan landscape. The organiser reported that competitors travelled through regions including Upper Dolpo, Dhorpatan, Upper Mustang and the Everest area, depending on their chosen paths. Some participants also crossed mountain passes above 5,000 metres, adding to the physical demands of the crossing. The combination of long distances, steep climbs and high-altitude terrain required competitors to manage their pace and make route decisions throughout the journey. The changing condition of the trails also created practical challenges. Participants had to adapt to the landscape while continuing towards the finish in the Kanchenjunga region. These conditions made navigation and sustained endurance important elements of the event.
Inglezou became the first female finisher
Inglezou was one of three women who began the 2024 Great Himal Race. She became the first female participant to reach the finish at the Kanchenjunga Base Camp region. Canadian runner Rachelle Komarnisky was also reported to have completed the full crossing on foot. The event organiser listed Inglezou’s racing time as 367 hours and 35 minutes, while Komarnisky recorded 393 hours and 46 minutes. These figures formed part of the event’s results, while Guinness World Records recorded Inglezou’s overall completion time as 52 days, 6 hours and 23 minutes. The difference reflects the way racing time and total elapsed time were reported. Inglezou’s achievement was subsequently recognised under the Guinness category for the fastest female completion of the Great Himalaya Trail on foot.
The crossing involved significant elevation gain
The scale of the journey was measured not only by its distance but also by the amount of climbing and descending involved. According to the event organiser, participants faced more than 90,000 metres of positive elevation gain across the route. Repeated ascents and descents placed sustained demands on competitors, particularly when combined with high-altitude conditions and remote trails. The route’s flexibility meant that individual participants could experience different mountain passes and landscapes. Some sections required travel through areas where access to facilities and established infrastructure was limited. Competitors therefore had to manage their energy and progress over an extended period. Inglezou’s successful completion demonstrated the endurance required to maintain a long-distance journey across Nepal’s mountainous terrain.
The 2024 event attracted international competitors
The Great Himal Race brought together participants from different countries and backgrounds in endurance sports. The organiser reported that 26 people initially intended to undertake the full crossing, while 22 eventually reached the Kanchenjunga Base Camp area. Thirteen participants were reported to have completed the high-Himalaya crossing on foot. The race included competitors who travelled through different routes and faced varying terrain along the way. Because participants had flexibility in route selection, the event did not involve identical experiences for every runner. The results reflected the challenges of completing the crossing, with competitors required to sustain their efforts over several weeks. Inglezou’s performance stood out within the female category, as she reached the finish first among the women taking part in that edition.
What made the achievement notable
Completing the Great Himalaya Trail requires prolonged physical effort, route planning and the ability to adapt to changing mountain conditions. The 2024 race combined long-distance travel with substantial elevation gain and high-altitude sections. Participants had to maintain progress while dealing with steep terrain and the practical challenges of crossing remote parts of Nepal. Inglezou completed the journey in more than 52 days, making the achievement an example of sustained endurance rather than a short-distance speed performance. Her record also came within a specific female category, which Guinness World Records officially recognised. The achievement highlights the difficulty of undertaking a long Himalayan crossing on foot, particularly when the route includes substantial climbs, descents and varying trail conditions.
Guinness World Records confirms the female record
Guinness World Records lists Asimina Inglezou of Greece as the holder of the record for the fastest completion of the Great Himalaya Trail on foot by a female. Her official time was 52 days, 6 hours and 23 minutes, and the achievement took place in Nepal between 9 April and 31 May 2024. She completed the journey as part of the Great Himal Race, which crossed Nepal from Hilsa in the west towards the Kanchenjunga region in the east. The event’s route involved approximately 1,602 kilometres and significant elevation gain, according to its organiser. By reaching the finish during the 2024 race, Inglezou became the first female finisher and secured a Guinness World Records title for her performance across the Nepalese Himalayas.
