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Robert Garside

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Robert Garside
Full-length photo of Robert Garside beginning an around the world run from the monument of India Gate, New Delhi, India.
Robert Garside “The Runningman” begins around-the-world run from India Gate, New Delhi, India.
Personal information
Full nameRobert Garside
NationalityBritish
Born (1967-01-06) 6 January 1967 (age 57)
United Kingdom
Websiterobertgarside.com

Robert Garside, also known as The Runningman, is a British runner who is credited by Guinness World Records as the first person to run around the world. Garside began his record-setting run following several aborted attempts from Cape Town, South Africa and London, England. Garside set off from New Delhi, India on 20 October 1997, completing his run back at the same point on 13 June 2003. While his run was challenged by some ultra distance runners and some members of the press, Guinness World Records, who spent several years evaluating evidence, declared it authentic and the record was officially bestowed on Garside on 27 March 2007 at a ceremony in Piccadilly Circus, London, England.

Background

Born in Cheshire, England, Robert Garside had pursued several academic courses and worked a number of jobs, including in the Merchant Navy when he began running. But it was later, while studying psychology at London's Royal Holloway University, that he decided to attempt to set a record as the first person to run around the world.[1][2] Garside had become obsessed with running in the late 1980s, and when he noticed that there was a record on file for walking the world, but not for running it, decided that this was his record to set.[3][4]

World run

His first effort from Cape Town, South Africa, in early 1996 was abandoned in Namibia.[3] In a second, begun on 7 December 1996, the 29-year-old Garside started from London's Piccadilly Circus on a planned 42,000-mile run.[2][3] This attempt was abandoned in Russia due to the civil war in Afghanistan, and a third effort was initiated on 20 October 1997 from the monument of India Gate in New Delhi.[5][6]

Garside later indicated that it was his habit to jog seven to eight hours a day, covering an average of forty miles a day when running on flat ground, outfitted with a video camera to record his journey and a fifteen-pound backpack.[2][7]

During his run, he updated his website with a portable computer,[2] describing an arduous journey complicated by human and natural hurdles that included physical attacks and imprisonment as well as grueling climate extremes.[3][8][9] He met with considerable assistance, as he was offered lodgings around the globe in such diverse settings as five-star hotels and private homes to prison cells and police stations.[10] In addition to corporate sponsorship of £50,000, he indicated he received £120,000 in donations from individuals.[10] One donor in Hong Kong agreed to back Garside in return for a share in future profits.[11] Along the way, Garside also found love, meeting girlfriend Endrina Perez in Venezuela.[12]

Garside completed his world-traversing journey on 13 June 2003 at the monument of India Gate, at which time The Independent reported the total miles run over five and a half years at 35,000 (approximately 56,000 kilometers), covering territory in 30 countries.[13] Near the end of his run, Garside indicated that the worst experiences he'd encountered were three days spent running without any food and five days spent in jail in China because he lacked proper documentation.[5] He described running over the Himalayas as "fantastic" in spite of freezing temperatures, "the most spiritual of mind journeys."[5]

Dispute

Even before Garside completed his run, some ultra distance runners and some members of the press began challenging his achievement. David Blaikie, editor of now-defunct Canadian website Ultramarathon World and former president of the Association of Canadian Ultramarathoners expressed disbelief stating "I do not believe ... that he has fully run any of the major sections of the world he has claimed, or even a substantial portion of any section."[14] Blaikie also cited the lack of any helpers to help him carry food and water and his lack of experience with ultramarathons as reasons to doubt Garside's claims.[6][14][15][16]

World record

When Guinness began considering evidence of Garside's record, they evaluated the journey that began in Delhi on 20 October 1997, after his detour to spend time in the UK with his girlfriend, including China, Japan, Australia, South America, North America, Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East.[6][9][17][18] Garside used his video camera every 20 minutes while running to take a four-minute clip of his location, and routinely requested signed, dated documents from local officials.[10] Before authenticating the record, Guinness World Records spent over three years evaluating Garside's evidence, which included those time-coded tapes, credit-card receipts, and independent witnesses.[6]

In 2007, Guinness recognized Garside's run, formally listing him as the first person to run around the world.[17] In its press announcement, Guinness World Records declared itself quite satisfied with the evidence evaluated, stating that "We are very cautious to accept records like this because they are difficult to certify, however Robert has provided us with full evidence which enabled us to authenticate his amazing achievement."[19] According to Guinness' endorsement, Garside ran through 29 countries on six different continents over a period of 2,062 days.[19]

Post-authentication

The record was officially observed on 27 March 2007 at a ceremony in Piccadilly Circus,[20] where representatives of Guinness endorsed the record.[21] Garside said, "I'm really happy about this, this run cost me everything." [22]

According to The Guardian, Garside had "confirmed" shortening his route by 1300 km by taking an airplane,[21] although according to 2009's Getting Into Guinness, Guinness permits rest days and ship or plane travel across bodies of water in epic journeys.[23]

In 2003, Garside indicated his intention to follow up his record-setting run by running across the Antarctic and swimming around the globe,[10] with intentions to embark on the latter in June 2004.[9] Garside married his girlfriend in London in 2004,[24] having met her in Venezuela in 2000.

See also

References

  1. ^ Elliott, Keith (20 October 1995). "This man is about to run around the world. Five continents, 52 countries, 39,920 miles. It will take him four years at up to 60 miles a day. Is he mad?". The Independent. London. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d Greene, Jamal (14 August 2000). "Road warrior: Robert Garside hopes to be the first man to run around the world". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d Burkeman, Oliver (15 February 2001). "On the run". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  4. ^ "Around the world in 2040 days". Sydney Morning Herald. AFP. 27 March 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Aylward, Juliet (15 March 2003). "Running man bids for world record". BBC. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d Hardman, Robert (2 April 2007). "Did Robert Garside really run round the world or was it just a...long distance reception?". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  7. ^ Denise Dillon (24 July 2001) Man Hopes to Go Around the World on Foot, CNN Retrieved = 31 October 2010
  8. ^ "Running Man Battles Blisters, Bullets". ABC News. 2 August 2000. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  9. ^ a b c Aylward, Juliet (15 March 2003). "Running man bids for world record". BBC. Retrieved 15 October 2010. Cite error: The named reference "BBC" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b c d Campbell, Denis (2 March 2003). "How one man ran the planet". The Observer. London. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  11. ^ "Running man chasing goal of traversing all continents". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. 6 April 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  12. ^ "Running Man finds love on world-wide way". Independent Online. 4 August 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  13. ^ Johnson, Andrew (14 June 2003). "Around the world in 50 pairs of trainers". The Independent. London. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  14. ^ a b Powell, David (7 May 2003). "Suspicion haunts man with world at his feet". The Times. London. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  15. ^ Fleming, Nic (16 March 2003). "Doubts trip up runner's record claim". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  16. ^ Lidz, Franz (1 July 2002). "Where in the World Is Robert Garside?". Sports Illustrated Adventure (16). Retrieved 39 September 2009. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  17. ^ a b Hughes, Paul (26 March 2007). ""Runningman" makes it into record books at last". Reuters. Retrieved 39 September 2009. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  18. ^ Krieger, Liz (3 February 2003). "Running Away from It All". Newsweek. Retrieved 39 September 2009. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  19. ^ a b "The first fully authenticated run around the world record has just been accepted" (PDF). Guinness World records. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  20. ^ "Briton becomes first person to run around the world". Metro. London. 27 March 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  21. ^ a b Burkeman, Oliver (28 March 2007). "Running the world – or a flight of fancy?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  22. ^ "Running feat into records book". The New Zealand Herald. Reuters. 28 March 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  23. ^ Olmsted, Larry (September 2009). Getting Into Guinness: One Man's Longest, Fastest, Highest Journey Inside the World's Most Famous Record Book. HarperCollins. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-06-137349-7. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  24. ^ ITN, 27 March 2007, British Forrest Gump in record books

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