World Run II / Reports

The map shows the position of which the pictures for the day are taken (if any). The start and finish markers are placed at the first and last valid registered position. This is not nessesary the actual start and finish position, if GSM or GPS signals was not available.

Goto: 2011-08-01 2011-08-03 Peru

2011-08-02:

22
Distance today: 40.0 km (Accumulated: 27281.0 km)
Elapsed time: 03:49:53
Country: Peru

Start 10:34am., 15c, overcast and med.wind at km-stone "790" on hwy1. Finish 15:11pm., 16c, half cloudy and same at km-stone "750" on hwy.1 to Lima.

A bit on the Inca history !

As most probably are aware, Peru was the cradle of the Inca civilization: The largest empire in pre-columbian South America.
At its hight it spanned areas from Columbia, through Peru, parts of Bolivia, Argentina and North- & central Chile.

It was a highly centralized society centered around the Inca king, who was belived to be of divine origin as was the case in many of the ancient empires. The empire was ruled from Cusco in modern day Peru (not far from where I am running, but far up in the Andes Mountains), and was divided into four different
provinces which all paid tribute to the center.

Intesting, the Inca civilization didnt have a written language as far as its known, but instead had a system of strings w. knots to help remembering numbers and possibly
even more complex information. Unfortunately many of the meticulous kept records of for example population numbers etc. was destroyed by the spanish "conquistadores" who had their first battle with the Inca's in 1532 and already by 1533 the spanish soldiers were more or less in control of their territory. By 1572 this empire which began in the 12.century had reached its finish as their last king, Túpac Amaru, was murdered by the spanish - a very strong blow to the last spirit of the empire which were closely connected to the belief in the king's strength. Even today there are poems and songs in South America remembering his traumatic death.

As it happens, the Inca's also had the worlds perhaps first ultrarunners ! They used runners to carry fresh fish to the Inca king over vast distances from the coast to the government centre in the mountains. But more on this in a few hundred kilomtres - where my route goes past the exact spot on the coast where these ancient runners had their quarters !

NB: The run today was a pleasure; recovering well from the stomack-illness yesterday (I have a real talent for picking up tropical diseases, as was the case during the run through Africa.. ;-). Very variated terrain which I hope the pictures show.