Man runs around the world, lives to tell the tale in Vancouver; first-person account set to raise funds for BC Lung Association
Local runners and outdoors enthusiasts of all types are looking forward to meeting the first person to complete a fully documented run around the Earth. Jesper Olsen, 32 at the time, from Denmark, started running on January 1, 2004, and ran nearly every day until he finished his 26,000 km trek around the world on October 23, 2005. Vancouverites will have their chance to meet Jesper and hear his story at a presentation on March 24, 2006, at the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver -see www.worldrun.ca. They'll also have a chance to do the Club Fat Ass run on Sunday March 26 at 9:00 am.
Olsen began his adventure in Greenwich, England, accompanied by Alexander Karatkov from Russia. The two experienced ultra runners took great care to plan the first leg of their trip across Europe and Russia together. An ultra run is any run longer than the standard marathon of 42.2 km. Olsen’s goal was to run about 46 km per day. The Russian dropped out due injury after their first leg to the eastern end of Russia.
Olsen faced many natural and man-made challenges along the way, including a close call with a Siberian bear and getting caught in a typhoon and earthquake in Japan. Not to mention long lonely and difficult stretches at times without support. Fortunately, there were many groups around the world following his progress through his website, www.worldrun.org. Olsen was generously supported by some of them as he went on through Australia, United States, Canada, and Ireland.
On his run through Vancouver, Canada, Olsen was met with a very warm and much anticipated greeting. His first major stopover was in North Vancouver and included an evening spent with a local group of ultra runners from Club Fat Ass www.clubfatass.com. According to Olsen, “It turned out to be a very cosy event where I got a lot of stories from their background and the Canadian ultra and adventure community in general.
