World Runner Comes to Jordan · Global Voices
Mohammad Azraq

Danish Runner Jesper Olsen is running around the world crossing four continents to promote running as something all cultures have in common.The Danish Ambassador to Jordan HE.Thomas Lund-Sørensen writes about this:
As I am writing these lines the Ultra Runner Jesper Olsen from World Run II is crossing the Ramtha border control (hopefully without too much hassle) and entering Jordan. Jesper will be running through Jordan from today and is planning to exit to Egypt on the day before Christmas the 24th of December.
From December 18th to 24th, 2008, the Danish ultra runner Mr. Jesper Olsen will run through Jordan. He is completing the World Run II Project: The North – South Run, which is the world’s longest non-stop run, aiming at completing a distance of 40.000 km passing through four continents in three years. The run began in Nordkapp, Norway, July 1st 2008 and the finish point in New Foundland, Canada, is expected to be reached by the end of 2010. When arriving in Jordan Jesper Olsen will already have completed more than 8000 km of running.
Having met Jesper tonight I can say he feels fit and very welcome in Jordan. Passing the Ramtha border was a piece of cake – he was officially saluted “Ahlan wa Sahlan” by a small detachment in uniform and received various maps.
Today Jesper ended up just outside Amman on Jordan Street. Tomorrow he and Ammar Sabbah together with other Amman Road Runners will run to JRTV for a live interview on Ammar’s show “Beiti” on Jordan television and then continue towards the south. Other runners should feel free to join. Both Jordan Times and Jad’s blog wrote about the World Run Project. It is a truly unique and enormous project and for once something that is far away from politics.