World Run II / Organisation - Runners, Crew & Co-ordination

Introduction The Runners Principles The Route Live Coverage Organisation

For this type of challenge, we obvious need highly experienced ultrarunners. However, the capacity to perform at elite-level at championships in ultrarunning, such as the annual 100km and 24-hour world championships, 48-hour, 6-day and multiday-races, is a good basis but not enough.

Experience from the World Run showed that the capacity to adapt well to new cultures, different food and habits, different climates and, indeed, very different levels of comfort for long periods of time, is essential.

But without the back-up from a skilled and dedicated support team, even the most experienced runners will have little real chance facing a run of 40 000km through the 'hotspots' of the world !

The aim therefore is to gather and strengthen a small team of 2-4 runners plus additional 1-2 helpers. So far, we have been fortunate to have promises of participation from one of the most skilled massage specialists involved in ultra-running, Michael Gillan from Australia (injury-prevention and logistics); professional photographer and ultrarunner Jürgen Ankenbrand from Germany (supply-driving, logistics and photo); and not least the organisational skills of Phil Essam from Canberra, Australia, as a key person in maintaining organisational overview and coordinating the North-South Run, once it's on the road.

In short:

• Phil Essam, Australia: Co-ordination and logistics.
• Jürgen Ankenbrand, Germany: Supply-driving ∧ photo, 2008-2009.
• Michael Gillan, Australia: Supply-driving ∧ massage, 2009-2010.
• Glen Turner, USA: Continent runner.
• Jesper Olsen, Denmark: Full distance runner.

This group has already been involved in parts of the first World Run and there proven to have the qualities needed.

Amongst the runners is the person that completed the entire World Run, Jesper Olsen from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Glen Turner from America. Glen has a long career in long distance triathlon as well as running. For more than 10 years he has competed in ultrarunning, in 2006 winning the international 6-day race in New York City by a large margin. Jesper Olsen holds, besides the completion of the 26,232km of the world run, the Scandinavian records at 48-hours and 6-day running, as well as most of the national ultra records, having run long distance since his marathon debut in 1985 as 15 year old.

You can find more background information about the runners in the "Runners" section.