SINGAPORE — They had to battle through heavy snow, strong winds, incessant rain and even soil erosion on certain parts of the Asics “Beat the Sun” race trail at Mont Blanc, Europe’s second-highest peak.

But while Singaporean duo Raviin Kumar and Lance Sum did not succeed in their quest to finish the race before sunset, they still came away from the gruelling experience with a huge sense of achievement at having conquered one of the toughest high-altitude tracks in the world.

The two, along with runners from Hong Kong and Australia, were part of a six-strong Oceania-Pacific team that attempted to complete the demanding 150km route within 15hrs, 41mins and 35s.

However, the team were unable to finish the full distance. They still had four legs of the race amounting to 43.2km to go after missing the cutoff time. Only two of the eight participating teams were able to complete the entire race in the required time.

While frustrated at being unable to complete the race, Raviin — a national middle-distance athlete — said the entire experience taught him some life lessons.

“The experience at Mont Blanc was nothing short of extraordinary, but I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed (at the end of the race) at not being able to beat the sun,” said the 26-year-old.

“Being used to Singapore’s hot and humid weather, the cold was something hard for us to prepare for, despite flying in earlier to acclimatise. It was made worse by the rain and strong winds, too.

“But overall, being able to take part in this race, meeting the top runners from all over the world and hearing their stories taught me several valuable lessons, including that of never losing sight of your goals no matter how bad things seem.”

Sum, who was one of six amateur runners selected by Asics to join the team, said the challenge has fired up his appetite for similar races.

“The weather was colder than expected and that was difficult to adjust to in a short time, while the slopes were also steeper than I had expected,” said Sum.

“But the expert runners there were helpful and taught us techniques like how to go down slopes correctly and where to land our feet when running on uneven grounds.

“So while it was a very challenging event, it was also equally rewarding. I definitely see myself doing this again because I like to challenge myself and experience something really different.”

For Raviin, a final-year SIM psychology undergraduate, the race has given him the confidence to aim high in his athletic pursuits.

“My biggest achievement in running so far has been breaking the four-minute barrier (3mins 56.96s) in the 1,500m at the 2015 SEA Games, though now I feel circumnavigating Mont Blanc with my team shares that spot too,” said Raviin.

“So, my goal now will be to win a medal at the SEA Games and Asian Games. If time allows, I also want to run a good marathon time, and of course, make the Olympics one day.” Noah Tan