Extreme ultra-marathon runner Beatrice Lessi explains the challenges of running Everest Marathon and how you can train for it.

The highest marathon in the world is challenging. Altitude is its main issue and should not be underestimated — a 44-year-old woman died the year before I raced.

But you can complete it even if, like me, you don't come from the mountains, you've never been camping, and you start from zero.

Everest marathon doesn't mean summiting the top of Everest. It is a marathon from Base Camp (5,335 m/17,500 feet above sea level) to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m/11,286 feet above see level), with 2,700m elevation.

The marathon program includes two weeks of hiking up in order to acclimatise, a night on Everest Base Camp, marathon day, and then a flight back to Kathmandu.

How do you prepare for such a marathon?