Everesting in extremis

Having proven his talent for ultra-distance running, Nima Javaheri got on his bike and targeted Everesting's ultimate record – the most elevation ever climbed

- David Bradford

'WHAT I LEARNT'

Stick to your plan and be patient

You are going to go through lots of highs and lows

Enjoy the experience; everything passes in the end

Trust your support crew and listen to them - they have your best interest at heart

Break down the goal and set celebratory milestones, e.g. first Everest, 10,000m, 20,000m, etc.

Until he moved to Switzerland eight years ago, Nima Javaheri had only a passing interest in the sport. He grew up in north London and after university commenced a banking career in the City. “When you’re in your 20s, you just want to look good,” recalls the 39-year-old. “I’d do a couple of bench presses at the gym and that was it. Running and cycling played no part of my life until 2014.”

His late conversion to endurance sport makes his long-distance achievements in recent years all the more startling. “I lived in Frankfurt for a while, and that opened my eyes to outdoor activity,” he says, “but it was when I moved to Switzerland that cycling really took off for me.” Such was the group riding culture on the roads around his home in Geneva that Javaheri got swept along in the draft. “There are cycling routes everywhere,” he adds, “and we’re just 5km from the border with France – straight onto a 1,000m climb.”