WorldRun II Photos
Jesper Olsen Bio
| Name | Jesper Olsen |
|---|---|
| Age | 36 |
| Country | Denmark |
This is the second time the young political science graduate is tempting fate and setting off around the globe. The previous time was in 2004, when Jesper clocked up 26,000 km latitudinally around the world between 1 January 2004 and 23 October 2005. That was the longest documented run ever. This time, the tour will be clocked up longitudinally. “I feel motivated about following in the footsteps of great explorers like Vitus Bering and Roald Amundsen. Crossing tundra, desert and tropical rainforest – the world’s unique ecological systems that we must strive to take good care of. I’m also motivated by setting records, but that’s not my main reason for setting out on this journey of discovery,” Jesper Olsen explains.
Jesper Olsen has been running since he was 12. His career started in the Danish Heart Foundation’s fitness club, where he taught himself to run on the body’s terms. “It’s important to run in a way that’s healthy for the body,” the runner points out.
Jesper ran his first marathon when he was 15. Since then, he has beaten all the Danish running records for the 100 km and 50 km. He has had three international starts in 6-day runs and won in Melbourne in 2004, Nice in 2007, and most recently Johannesburg in 2008.
The Route
The 40,000 km is run in stages of 50 km per day. The route goes from Norkapp in Norway, through Finland and Sweden before also passing through Jesper’s home country of Denmark during the period from 24 to 28 August. Then Jesper will run through Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania and Turkey before rising to the challenge of running in several African countries. In Cape Town, Jesper will be half way. Then he sails to the southern tip of South America and runs up the east side of the continent before finally running the length of the eastern side of the USA, ending up in New Foundland, Canada in September 2010.
Jesper's Shoes
RoadRXP 6000
Equipment
For the whole route, Jesper will be equipped with a LifePilot GPS, which enables online broadcasting with live images and sound. People will also be able to get in touch with Jesper via e-mail most of the time. A number of rest days are included, where Jesper will have the opportunity to reply to e-mails and give interviews to the press. Jesper will be running together with the 32–year-old Australian runner Sarah Barnett.