Giorgio Zanol has made history as the oldest person to complete the Everest Marathon, conquering the hardest event he has faced in his 30 years as a runner.At the age of 70, the Lindo’s supermarket boss ran 26.2 miles on the slopes of the world’s tallest mountain. The start line was some three miles above sea level half the cruising altitude of a transcontinental jet plane.Back in Bermuda, Giorgio reflected: “I could not be any happier. I love the mountains. I finished the highest marathon in the world and in doing so raised money for the Bermuda Diabetes Association and to help children in Nepal.”Giorgio is five years older than the usual cut-off age for competitors in the gruelling race, however he was given clearance to compete after undergoing rigorous health tests. In the rarefied air at the roof of the world, he and his son Marco, 44, spent two-and-a-half weeks gradually acclimatising as they walked in the remote Himalayas mountain range to reach the start line at 5,200 metres above sea level.Along the way they had to be content with sleeping in a tent in freezing conditions. With the night air temperature plummeting as low as -12C, they would wake to find ice crystals coating the inside of their tent. In the dry, dusty mountain environment there were few opportunities to wash or shower. Frigid mountain streams doubled up as al fresco washbasins, although the Zanols and the other 86 race competitors were careful not to drink any mountain water, which is often the source of bacterial illnesses for the unwary.Two competitors in this year’s race succumbed to illness before the start and had to be medevaced from the mountain both were veterans of extreme marathons in Antarctica and the North Pole.The marathon expedition was led by local sherpas, including one who had previously reached the summit of Everest 19 times. During their weeks in the Himalayas, the Zanols saw no wheeled vehicles. The only transport across the remote rubble and boulder-strewn paths was by yak, mule or walking.The Bermuda pair managed to avoid any bouts of illness in the extreme conditions, and had the ‘luxury’ of sleeping in a flimsy plywood lodge the night before the marathon. However, in the confined indoor space the lack of oxygen at such an altitude it is 50 percent thinner than at sea level meant they woke up throughout the night gasping for air.After a bowl of breakfast porridge, they joined the other runners at the start line at 6.30am. It was -4C, a relatively warm day for the time of year. The Zanols ran together, pacing themselves as they negotiated an up-and-down rocky trail for ten hours before reaching the finish line, having descended 2,000m in the process.Giorgio was awarded a special trophy in recognition of becoming the oldest person ever to finish the event.The first 20 finishers were all Nepalese. The fastest, Ram Kumar Raj Bhandari, completed the race in three hours and 47 minutes. Giorgio and Marco were 70th and 71st overall out of 83 finishers.“The most difficult part in this race was getting to the start line,” said Marco, referring to the challenges of coping with high altitude, freezing weather, poor food, potentially dangerous drinking water and the physical effort of two weeks of trekking in the mountains to acclimatise and reach the start line.“On race day the weather was beautiful. We enjoyed it for what it was being in Nepal, in the Himalayas, and on one of the most beautiful trails,” he said. “We did not overly tax ourselves in the race. We started slowly to make sure we finished. It was a fantastic experience.”Giorgio, who has previously run two trans-Alpine multi-day races, a 100K event, and countless marathons agreed: “This was the hardest race I’ve done. The whole thing of going up and down to acclimatise.”He has lived most of his life in Bermuda, however he was born in Cavalese, in the Italian Dolomites, which perhaps explains why he loves and appreciates mountains so much.“Just seeing the Himalayan chain from the plane was awesome and I’ve seen a lot of mountains,” he said.So what will he do next? Giorgio isn’t sure yet. But when asked why he continues to run and put himself to the test in such events, he relied: “I love challenges. There is always something more to explore. I’m very satisfied with my life. God gave me good health and strength that allows me to do something for others.”He has raised more than $17,000 for the Bermuda Diabetes Association and a children’s charity in Nepal as a result of his Everest adventure. Anyone who would like to add to that total can contact the Bermuda Diabetes Association on 297-8427 or Giorgio through the two Lindo’s stores.