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Bericht WorlRun - Final report 30. October 2005 - Ultramarathon beim Steppenhahn (11.2005)
Jesper Olsen , 30. Oktober 2005

WorlRun - Final report 30. October 2005

Worldrun: Jesper has done it :-)

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Final report, 30. October, 2005. Denmark.
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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&search_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 :-)

Worldrun: Jesper and Malcom Campbell

© Jesper Olsen , 30. Oktober 2005