Aboyne hairdresser: 'I conquered Everest Marathon after Bennachie training'

Press and Journal

a day ago

You might imagine the closest a hair stylist would come to problems with mountains would be addressing a widow's peak.
Yet, even a brief chat with Alford athlete Judith Taylor is to be transported into a world of scary air journeys, altitude sickness and problems with breathing.
The Aberdeenshire mother-of-four didn't think to herself: 'Better him than me' while chatting to a customer whose husband had tackled the annual Everest Marathon.
On the contrary, as somebody who has been running up and down mountains for the last 25 years, she was intrigued by the prospect of participating in the Himalayan event.
And now, following the sort of adventures which are the stuff of Race Around the World, she has achieved a gold medal in one of the globe's most gruelling challenges.
But not before putting herself through the pain barrier to achieve her quest.
At the outset, running was an escape for Judith, who lives in Alford and works in Aboyne at the Aimee Christina Hair Salon.
But it developed into something else.
She said: 'I am mum to one boy and three girls, aged between 21 and 26.
'Since my twin girls were born 21 years ago, I have really enjoyed hill running and it gives me a bit of time to myself.
'It's an addiction now and I run around the local hills on most of my days off.
'I also completed the Bennachie Ultra marathon a few years ago.
'As I did my research, I gave it a lot more thought about what it would be like to take part in the [Everest] Marathon and I signed up to take part.
'My training was three-quarters of the way there because I was already running up the hills every Saturday and in all weather conditions.
'I love Bennachie because it covers a lot of terrain and offers many routes of varying distances. I used Lord Arthur as well, which is close to Alford.
'I was also road running and doing gym work at least four days a week, but after I signed up for the race, I spent most of my time training in the hills.'
Last month, Judith flew from Aberdeen to Kathmandu, via London and Doha. She had never travelled alone for so long or been so far away from her family.
But, undaunted, she met her guide Sonam and the rest of her group of 19 other competitors the following day. Not all of them finished the journey.
She said: 'We were limited to a 10kg bag which was a challenge and contained all the gear we needed for the 19-day trek to Everest Base Camp and the marathon.
'We took a flight to Lukla, reputed to be the most dangerous airport in the world, as it sits in the highest of hills with a very short runway. And we did it in a wee Corgi plane.
'We started hiking the next day from village to village staying in tea huts which were very basic with no heating and cold showers.
'In some of the huts, it was necessary to pay for hot water, WiFi and charging. And the more we hiked up, the more basic they became.
'We were supported by our guide, four Sherpas, eight porters and a group doctor.'
It's at this stage we should probably attach a trigger warning for people of a sensitive disposition: the sort of characters who moan there isn't a cafe at the top of Ben Nevis.
Yet, whatever romance surrounded Judith's trip, there were other more, ahem, stickier situations for which no amount of warm-ups in Scotland could have prepared her…
She told me: 'I was affected by the altitude almost straight away, causing breathlessness when walking, then headaches and nausea and several nose bleeds.
'One of our group became very ill and had to be evacuated to hospital by helicopter.
'Everyday, we got closer to base camp eventually hitting 5,364 metres [17,600 feet].
'We stayed there in tents for two nights, dealing with extremely cold temperatures in the evenings and mornings.
'Base camp was very busy and basic. There was no electricity, just gas stoves.
'The toilet was a little tent with a blue bucket set in stones. The smell was unbelievable, and it required some deep breaths before entering.
'The food was rice, pasta, potatoes, cold porridge and cold toast for breakfast.
'I was constantly feeling sick with headaches, so trying to eat tasteless food was difficult, but I knew I had to eat to keep the energy levels up.
'Even walking to the toilet and getting in and out of my sleeping bag was an effort and I had real doubts about whether I would be able to run the marathon.'
Yet this Alford mum is made of strong stuff. Whatever problems she endured, Judith was also thrilled at the thought of pushing herself to the limit.
She said: 'On May 29, I was up at 4.45am, ready to start the race at 7am. It was extremely cold, but I was so excited to get into it.
'The marathon was an amazing experience running through spectacular scenery with people cheering and passing yaks and donkeys loaded with everyday essentials.
'The main challenges were dealing with different weather conditions, extreme temperatures and the altitude. It's definitely not a walk in the park!
'But I completed the marathon in nine hours and 44 minutes, very tired but happy.
'You need to be extremely fit to do this challenge and uphill training and running in rough terrain is very important.
'I was running on tracks with sheer rocky drops looking down on the glacier.
'This was the most spectacular, hardest event I've ever done.'
But, of course, there were ample compensations for Judith as she progressed.
Indeed, she will never forget the sights she witnessed and heard during her advance. And she has a gold medal and certificate which she will keep for the rest of her life.
Overall, the pluses far outweighed the negatives and she would encourage others to follow in her footsteps. But they should also be aware of what they will encounter.
She said: 'I would recommend anyone who loves running to consider the challenge of the Everest Marathon, but would add that nothing will really prepare you fully for it.
'It's not for everyone. Two of my group were unable to compete in the marathon due to health issues caused by the altitude. I was lucky.
'One of the positives was meeting the many characters from all over the world and the camaraderie of the runners, trekkers and climbers who venture into the Himalayas.
'I made some new, good friends and the memories will stay with me forever.'
Judith was back at work in Aboyne this week, delighed to be reunited with her family, and has no immediate plans to tackle any other ventures on the same scale.
But she loves racing into the blue yonder and confirmed she will be in her happy place on Bennachie this weekend, communing with nature and loving it.
There might be a rest in Everest, but there's no rest for Judith Taylor.
Here's our list of 25 running events in 2025 if you're looking for some running inspiration.