Impact Sprint: Starting from Zero in Kathmandu

In episode 2 of "The Impact Sprint: 14 Stories of Heartbeats and Footprints," Nick Kershaw takes us to Kathmandu, Nepal, exploring the vital aspects that go into choosing an Impact Marathon location. Tune in to delve into the heart of social entrepreneurship, the intricacies of race creation, and how one email almost ruined it all.

#ImpactMarathons #Nepal #TrailRunning #SocialBusiness

Show Notes:

Introduction

• Recap of first episode: from the conception of Impact Marathons to the Uganda Marathon.
• Off to Nepal: background on the Nepal earthquake, the need, and the opportunity.

Selection Criteria for Impact Marathons

• Why Nepal became an obvious choice.
• The three key elements: social impact, tourist allure, and trail running.

Balancing Act

• The challenges of aligning business needs with social impact.
• How fewer runners could mean less impact, but why the core ethos of Impact Marathons must always take precedence.

The Nepali Scene

• Nick's first impressions of Kathmandu and its bustling energy.
• A snapshot into the Nepali culture and its social fabric.

Launching in a New Country

• The hustle: from emails and meetings to ground-level networking.
• The idea of the pop-up Athletes' Village and community involvement.

Facing Skepticism

• How a single negative email almost pulled the plug on the Nepal Marathon.
• Coping with doubts and staying resilient.

Turning Point

• Meeting with Childreach and Urgen Lama: how everything started to shift.
• Importance of networking, partnerships, and shared vision in turning the tide.

Conclusion

• A reflection on the journey so far and what lies ahead for Impact Marathons in Nepal.
• How this experience exemplifies what's achievable with a persistent vision and relentless passion.

Next Episode Teaser: Don't miss our next episode where we'll be talking about the ground-breaking projects that Impact Marathons has been part of in Nepal, and what we have in store for the November 2023 edition.