Index
Introduction
Principles
Runners
Media
Route Info
Progress Map
Event Calender
Links
World Run I / Reports
Goto:
2005-10-22
England End
72Distance today: 78.0 km (Accumulated: 26306.0 km)
Country: England End
THE WORLD RUN HAS BEEN COMPLETED !!!!
Later I will post an extensive report (see below 30 Oct.) - for now its
sufficient to say that a new boundary of running has been broken: One Lap
of Running around the World !
The total distance stands at 26 230km and was reached after running - and
running all the way; no walking except for 2 x 5min. near Bremen in
Germany - across four continents from 1. January 2004 to 23 October 2005.
The shortest stage was around 14km and the longest 93km. Not counting a
12hour race in Finland (129km), a 1/2marathon in Russia (1:21h.), a 10km
in Canada (43min.), a 5km Cross Country race (16:35min.) in USA and a 6
day race in Colac, Australia, in which I covered around 756km to take
1.place; before proceeding the world run the next day :-)
- However its important to understand that this achivement was not
possible at all without the kind help of runners all around the world. The
Victory and honour is yours !!!!
THANKS !!!
NB: Please feel free to look at the gps & picture documentation of the
run which is allready avaliable at this website for every day of the run
since the start in Greenwich 2004.
The complete gps-data will be handed over to the Guinness Book of World
Records for final verification along with loogbooks, camera pictures,
video recording, witness reports, media coverage, race-results and back-up
pictures !
I will by the way be happy to help any runner who wishes to break this
record - records are there to be broken :-)
- Have enjoyable training,
Jesper Olsen.
-----------------------------------------
Final report, 30. October, 2005. Denmark.
-----------------------------------------
2005.10.23. [Green sign on A6: "Luton 6miles"] - [Greenwich; the
0-Meridian of the World at The Old Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London].
England.
78km, 8:14h. pure running time excl. stops for navigating, food, water etc.
(the correct time is provided by Oliver Nidermaier who ran the stage with
me. I for once forgot to operate the watch proper).
Total: 26 232km.
Start: 02:58am.
Finish: 14:28pm.
(At the top of the webpage is postet the run-in time at Greenwich
Observatory, but I first got through the celebration group of friends,
runners and media, by 14:28 which is the time when I crossed the
0-meridian at the point the Russian runner Alexander Korotkov and I
started from).
+8c, dark and light wind at start. 17c, beginning clearing after overcast
and no wind at finish.
- You will have to miss the usual lyrics of the daily running report. The
finish stage is way more than I can put down in words at the moment. I
guess the best way to understanding it is to have a look at the pictures
from that last day of the run (Click on "show picture only", just above
this window) and compare with pictures from previous days from the start
at newyears day in 2004 and onward.
So instead I'll give a brief summary of what it was like returning home
after nearly 2years running across our planet:
First of all the prevailing feeling has been that of astonishment. That it
was possbile to complete this run, to do it running all the way, to do it
without becoming seriously injured, to do it and survive; to do it and
find all the cherished things at home still good and well !
However must stunning of all is the experiense of how peacefull and
friendly a place the world is. By all means, I chose an as safe as
possible route, avoiding ongoing warzones etc. Yet the fact that I was
not once attacked, robbed (except when I after experiensing the safeness
in Siberia left my stopwatch unattented in a Japanese hotspring spa and
didnt find it waiting 2 hours later...my fault ;-). But truely I didnt
have one single bad experiense with people met while running 26 000km on
the roads of the world. That is nothing less than amazing to me.
- In a way, I think, it tells a story of a world wich appear dangerous and
violent on tv-news and in the perception of highlevel politicians &
statesmen. But how thrilling and thourght-provoking it is see how
peacefull (and small!) a place our world is. As a political scientist by
education it makes me wonder even more. But I'll spare you for the moment
and instead try to put this and other impressions and adventures of the
world run down in a book.
Another surprise is the amount of friends and helpers from all along the
route who still remember me and has sendt congratulation emails, packets
etc. THANKS !!!!! I hope you remember to congratulate yourself, because
this run was not, at all, possible without you.
Among the main things for me personally was the touching news that a group
of helpers, runners and non-runners alike, had met on the early morning of
the finish - in mid. USA to do a mutual run and finish with celebrations
at the moment I ran across the finish line thousands of km's away !!! I
dont have words ! (But I'll try to post some of the picture send in a few
day in the photogallery).
In the same tune is the emotions when I learned that they are going to
name a marathon in Finland of me (I doubt I derserve it considering they
themself have Parvo Nurmi). In Siberia a 60km trail run is established.
(My supply driver for 7,5months in Russia writes:
"..I congratulate you on successful finish!
I saw happy persons of your friends. You are happy. You have carried out
the dream. And it is fine. The world such huge and in it so many your
friends. And due to that you have made all this.. And the world together
with you triumphs.
...In honour of your finish we have arranged run on 60 kms.
The first snow on the eve has dropped out and many runners were frightened
of the big difficulties as it was necessary to run on a cross-country
terrain and on asphalt around of the big lake. Such run around of lake
Shershni was carried out for the first time. Here it is impossible to
reduce a distance. 60 kms are a minimum. On start has left 7 person.
Finished 6 person.
Time of the winner 5.50. Ryzhkin Alexander of 1988 of a birth ... It is
his first racing run on such long distance.
[complete result list]
...
Radchenko Alexander, the city of Chelyabinsk. Russia. ")
Lastly there is the media. Personally I much perfer the oppotunities which
has begun to come to speak in person at arrangemets. But the small
media-storm that appeared after the finish is obviously good for the
sponsors whom also has their big share of honour in making this new record
possible !!
I had looked forward to resuming my old life as before, going to the
supermarket, train etc. just beeing mr. anybody. But for a short while
that has changed; yet I am sure it will return to normal once again.
Some of the best articles is in my view that done by Amby Burfoot on
Runners World:
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/daily_news/0,5039,0-0-0-0----10-23-2005,00.
html
- I ran with Amby in Pennesylvania, who was the winner of Boston Marathon
1968, and enjoyed seeing that his spirit for running is still sparkling !
Back in Denmark a thing like a world run is ofcourse very far fetched and
seen from a carefull and cozy little contry it easily appears to be just
foolish to risk safeness for things that doesnt measure in the scales of
value.
- Thus articles like "The Running Fool...":
http://www.bt.dk/nyheder/artikel:aid=397860/
On the other hand I have been surprised by the personal acknowledgement by
danish recreational runners:
http://www.dourun.dk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15095
Or for example Swedish runners:
http://www.puls.se/forums/thread.cfm?topicid=278553&id=281675&forum=1032&se
arch_terms=jesper%20olsen
:-) Thanks guys :-)
Moments ago the phone rang. It was a marathon organizer who asked if I
would speak at an autumn marathon next weekend; at the "Forrest Marathon",
www.skovmarathon.dk
Ofcourse I would and also it would be no problem to participate in the
10km fun run. But I prefer to do the marathon - that is the Fun Run I'd
most like to do right now !
It may not be wise to think like that; but how can you resist when the
forrest stand tall in its bright red, yellow and orange colours under a
crisp blue sky ? I am just a runner afterall :-)
...And allready small plans are brewing. Could be interesting to do a
North to South Run in 2008/2010. I have met many strong runners on my way
and I still didnt make my second goal of getting a team through to the
finish. It would be such a joy sharing the victory all the way !
But for now its back to everyday life of beeing 'a runnning fool' in my
own contry. That will surely keep my appetite for the big world alive :-)
And my urge to meet new friends, see new sceneries of our mutual nature
and once more travel within and beyond...
jesper, denmark.
- former World Runner.
PS: Many people have asked me wether its my father in the very last
picture at the daily pictures from the World Run finish in Greenwich.
Actually its none other than mr. Malcolm Campbell. Malcolm has been the
founder of organized ultrarunning on top level. He founded the
"International Ultrarunners Association" many decades ago, and besides
beeing himself a runner who has done & tried allmost any imaginable
distance he is also the mainly to credit for that we today have European,
Asian, American.. and World Championships on 100km & 24hour running.
I first met Malcolm when I years back was my own contry's first
representative at a European championship on 100km, "The European 100km
Challenge" in Perigord Noir, France.
I was met in the Charles De Gaulle airport by an unassuming old man who
insisted on carrying my suitcases of competetion & running gear. I
thourght it way a porter from Paris airport. It was ofcourse Malcolm
himself eager to help an novice runner from a small contry. If I have the
virtue of trying to help others no matter who they are or what they have
achieved, then you now know where I learned it from... He is one of the
many reasons that I respect this sport so much :-)
Goto:
2005-10-22
England End
72Distance today: 35.0 km (Accumulated: 26306.0 km)
Country: England End
DeliveredDate: 24-10-2005 11:47:15
THE FINISH HAS BEEN REACHED AND THE WORLD RUN IS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED
!!!!
- I will get back with a complete report later but for now its sufficient
so say that a new boundary has fallen:
Its now shown that its possible for a runner to run (and run all the way)
around the World :-)
But its essential to understand that it was not possible without the
tremendous support, encouragement and not least friendship from fellow
runners from every contry I ran through.
That this run was possible for me to complete is a tribute to helpfullness
from fellow runners just as much as an individual voyage beyond previous
boundaries. THANKS :-))
- Please feel free to look through the extensive documentation that is
allready avaliable on this website for every single day of the run. Later
on I will submit the full gps, logbook, picture, witness, media,
race-report and video evidence to the Guinness Book of World Records for
final verification.
The total km for this first completed run around the world stands at 26
230km.
This was achived through running from 1.January 2004 to 23.October 2005,
complete across 4 continents of the world. (I will, truely, be very happy
to assist anyone interested in beating this record. Records are there to
be broken !!).
Reports
E-book
World Run book
Lectures in englishForedrag på dansk
Media Coverage
Photos