24 Feb 2020
Bo has been employed at Albatros Adventure Marathons for almost 18 months, but his history with our company goes way back. He was a race volunteer for 10 years, before officially joining the team as one of three race directors.
Bo oversees our warm destination marathons: Petra and Bagan. It's no surprise he thinks it’s a good excuse to escape from the cold Danish weather a couple times a year. Bo, along with Rune and Lars, plan everything about our marathons from A to Z.
Part of finding a new destination and creating a marathon is being able to make a route. Thankfully, Bo has the running skills to ensure this. Although he is not a professional, he does enjoy a weekly run with colleagues or back home in Ejby. in the forest or near the beach. His one and only marathon was the Great Wall Marathon back in 2001.
“It was a tough one, but why not start with the toughest.”
He has also done several half marathons, including Petra Desert and the Big Five Marathons. Unfortunately, being a race director, means he has not had the opportunity to run any other of our races as he is responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly.
Having had firsthand experience with most of our races, it's safe to say that Bo is the person to go to for a few tips on the do’s and don'ts of race day.
Bo at the Great Wall Marathon in 2001
The DO’s and DON’Ts:
- DO enjoy running the marathon – even though running a marathon can be tough, remember you are running in some of the most unique places in the word, most of them being UNESCO heritage sites.
- DO take a moment to appreciate your surroundings – whether it’s the temples, the ice cap, the ancient city of Petra, they each have their own wonders. In some places, like Bagan, our races are considered an annual party where hundreds of runners come together and celebrate with the locals.
- DO train for the races – the more prepared you are, the more you will be able to enjoy it.
- DO choose the distance that you feel comfortable with – some runners ask if they will manage a full marathon, we advise them to choose the half marathon if they don’t feel 100% sure to be sure to savor the experience.
- DO be open to making new friends – with people from all over the world. You will be with the same group of people during 5, 6, 7 days, they will be the same ones who will not only be waiting for you at the finish line, but also cheering you on and celebrating with you.
“From day 1, they will have something to talk about because they obviously love running, they love travelling and they love adventure.”
- DON’T look at your watch – our marathons are not meant to be run to make a PB, unless you are running the World’s Fastest Marathon.
- DON’T keep track of your pace – same as previous point, don’t set a pace, don’t make a plan, just relish the moment.
Bo at the Bagan Temple Marathon in 2014
When asked about his favorite adventure marathon, he replies with a laugh:
“We get that question a lot. It’s kind of like asking parents which children they love the most, so of course I love all of them, but I’ve fallen in love with Myanmar, so Bagan Temple Marathon is my favorite. I’ve been there 7 times, so almost since the beginning. Except for the first year, I've been involved in the race ever since. Many years as a volunteer race official and then the last couple of years as the head organizer, so I’m very happy about being the director for this race. I like the weather out there; the local people are so friendly and its incredibly beautiful with all the temples. And as soon as you step outside of the temple zone, you see the countryside and it's something magical.”
Bo testing the route for the Iceland Volcano Marathon
With two new races coming up this year, Icefjord Midnight Marathon and Iceland Volcano Marathon, he may need to re-assess his answer. Bo had the chance to go to both destinations to help plan the route and from what he experienced, to say these places were magnificent is an understatement.
“Running on top of a volcano is something you only expect to see in movies... The view of the Myvatn lake and running on the black volcano sand, lava and rocks all over the place, it felt like you were running on the moon on some parts.”
He emphasizes the importance of people acknowledging that these adventure marathons are part of a tour package. It is this very reason that will allow you to build long-lasting friendships. He's been lucky enough to see many of our runners come back with these friends the following year for another adventure marathon.