From the inspiring to the tragic, ‘This Week In Adventure’ presents a wrap-up of top news in the world of exploration and adventure.
Record 'Barrel' Ocean Crossing
IT TOOK 128 DAYS, but a 71-year-old Frenchman drifted by wind and current across the ocean. According to ExplorersWeb, Jean-Jacques Savin built a custom capsule (“barrel”) from resin-coated plywood that was “heavily reinforced to resist pounding waves.” It launched weeks ago from the Canary Islands and bobbed without an engine to the Caribbean Island of St. Eustatia, near the Dominican Republic. Savin reportedly arrived in good health and celebrated his achievement with a local beer. Cheers!
50-Mile Running Record Set
GEARJUNKIE WAS ON LOCATION for Jim Walmsley’s record-setting 50-mile run. The 36-year-old HOKA ONE ONE athlete ran 50 miles in 4 hours, 50 minutes, 7 seconds. He broke Bruce Fordyce’s 1983 record by just 14 seconds. The effort was part record-breaking, part publicity stunt for HOKA’s upcoming racing shoe, the Carbon X. Walmsley broke the 50-mile mark as part of his effort to set the 100K record, but the record eluded him due to heat.
Kilimanjaro 'Sea to Summit' Climb
THERE’S A NEW FKT on Kilimanjaro. And while the supported records — set by Karl Egloff at 4 hours, 56 minutes, and Kristina Schou Madsen at 6 hours, 52 minutes, 54 seconds — may stick around for a while, Isack Igenge took a different route. Igenge, a Tanzanian native and Kilimanjaro National Park guide, began on the Tanga Harbor in the Indian Ocean, summiting Kilimanjaro roughly 368 miles later. It took him 12 days, 2 hours, 20 minutes in the self-supported style for this nuanced, sea-to-summit FKT.
Jeff Bezos Wants to Populate the Moon
While not an Earthly adventure, Jeff Bezos unveiled a lunar lander to populate the moon this week. The Amazon founder’s Blue Origin hopes to send astronauts to and from the moon by 2024. The lander, named Blue Moon, can deliver a variety of payloads to the moon and operate with the goal of eventually establishing sustained human presence. Blue Moon, pictured, will use a new rocket engine called BE-7 for its thrust.
Terrorist Attacks Cancel AR World Champs
AN ELITE GROUP OF 60 INTERNATIONAL TEAMS, poised to tackle the 6-day Adventure Racing World Championships (ARWC) in Sri Lanka later this year, will not compete following the Easter terror attacks there. The annual event marks the capstone to a worldwide series of competitions. “The Easter terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka were both shocking and horrific,” race organizers said. “The huge loss of life suffered in bombed churches and hotels and the subsequent instability within the country have, of necessity, forced a reassessment of any visits to the country.” Read more at the ARWS website.
Mega American Bike-Tour Route
IN JANUARY, WE REPORTED the Great American Rail-Trail made a huge step toward becoming a reality. And now, the 12-state, 3,700-mile route has been announced in full. The car-less route connects more than 125 existing rail trails, greenways, and multiuse paths spanning from Washington, D.C., to Washington state. For 30 years, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has envisioned a Great American Rail-Trail. And now that dream is a reality.
Sub-2-Hour Marathon News
DUBBED THE LAST GREAT HOLY GRAIL in sports by many, the sub-2-hour marathon has eluded runners the world over. But intentions by Eliud Kipchoge, announced this week, may finally break the landmark time. Kipchoge, 34, won the London Marathon this year, his fourth win, and was the frontrunner for Nike’s 2017 Breaking2 project, a sanctioned effort at breaking this record. Currently, Kipchoge plans to break 2 hours on October 13 along a custom flat course.
