Peter Wilson and Michael Hull
Peter Wilson, 35 - Ultra Marathon Runner
Bio:
Although he's a collector of rare sports shoes, Australian Peter Wilson is unlikely to arrive at The Last Desert start line wearing an old pair of Vans skate trainers. The 35-year-old will, of course, be shod in something much more appropriate for the conditions underfoot, though by the time he's finished the race he'll probably consider his Antarctic footwear every bit as precious as all those vintage models.
Operations manager for the Australian Jockey Club, Sydney born Peter will enter the horse free environs of Alaska as the first Australian to ever enter the confines of the frozen tundra of Yellowknife and enter the Polar Bear Wilderness. It will be the fourth time Peter has thrown himself in the deep end having raced across the Gobi desert and also been apart of the winning Team (Team Trifecta) that has not only won the Atacama Desert but also the frozen environment of Racing The Planet Antarctic Ultra Race.
"I thought one would be enough!" says Peter, who has formed lifelong bonds through his participation in RacingThePlanet events. "A couple of times I've felt like giving up, but it's such a long way to go home without a medal."
Based in Coogee Beach, near Sydney, Peter has access to plenty of sand dunes to help him prepare for his races, though the surfaces in Antarctica will be very different to what he's encountered before. Like the majority of RacingThePlanet competitors, Peter favours basic, hand held water bottles over more complex hydration systems and he swears his Buff is the most useful piece of equipment he has.
When he runs he listens to punk and hip-hop, if he's not talking to his Team Trifecta mates. It's not clear though what they think of his musical tastes. When he runs, Peter raises money for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation. "To date, from the Atacama Crossing, Gobi March and Antarctica, I have raised $260 000," he reveals.
But at then end of the day my pain is very little compared to what our kids go through.
Pete's History
2001: Half Ironman Foster and Canberra
2002: Sydney Half-Marathon and Foster Ironman, Foster Half Ironman and Shepparton Half Ironman.
2003: Numerous Half-Marathons
2004: Foster Half-Ironman and Canberra Half-Ironman
2005: Foster Ironman, Sydney Marathon and numerous Half Marathons.
2006: Sydney Marathon
3 months in Nepal trekking and climbing into Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes and surrounding mountains.
2007: Six Foot Track, Blue Mountains, AUSTRALIA
Sun-Herald Half Marathon
Gobi Desert, CHINA, 250km footrace
Great North, USA, 100km Race
Sydney Marathon
Brindabella Classic
6 hours on a treadmill at the TLE Xmas party to raise funds for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation.
2008: Six foot Track
Sydney Marathon
Atacama Crossing, Chile, 250 km footrace.
Michael Hull, 41 - Ultra Marathon Runner
Ultra-Marathons are usually long and lonely events, unless your part of the RacingThePlanet Deserts series. These desert races have a habit of creating strong bonds between racers and it's those friendships, forged by shared hardship and joy, which keep Michael Hull going back for more.
Born on the Central Coast of NSW, Michael likens the group of friends he made on his three previous RacingThePlanet outings, Gobi Desert - China, Atacama Desert - Chile and The Last Desert - Antarctica, to family. Now he's looking forward to a reunion with his team mates in the Sahara Desert in Egypt later this year.
A veteran of numerous marathons, endurance races and triathlons - he's is also a 9 time Ironman finisher - Michael never intended to run the whole 4 Deserts series. He entered the Gobi March 2007 as a 40th birthday present to himself but, after forming lifelong friendships with his Gobi tent mates, there was no question of him not signing up for further events.
Michael finds time to run five to six times a week between sharing the taxi service duties with his wife making sure his three sports mad young girls get to soccer, touch football and dancing classes on time. Fitting it all in is a challenge, but Michael's determined to achieve a healthy balance between family, work and training.
Michael also races to raise money for charity. With a daughter who is a Type One diabetic, Michael is motivated by the knowledge that every dollar raised for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will go to help finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Donations can be made at www.jdrf.org.au
Michael races as part of Team Trifecta with Frank Fumich (USA) and Pete Wilson (AUS). Together they have won the Teams event in the Atacama Desert 08 and The Last Desert in Antarctica 08 as part of the RacingThePlanet series. The goal is to also win the Sahara Race 09 later this year.
2009 is going to be a busy year with several marathons and ultra marathons scheduled in addition to another Ironman Triathlon and RacingThePlanet event in the Sahara Desert, Egypt.
Michaels background
The Last Desert, Antarctica 08 - Up to 250 kms foot race through Antarctica
Atacama Crossing 08 - 250km self supported foot race thru the Atacama Desert, Chile
Gobi March 07 - 250km self supported foot race thru the Gobi Desert, China
Boston Marathon 06, USA
Great Wall Marathon 05, China
Japan Ironman 04
Australian Ironman (7)
Western Australian Ironman (1)
Six Foot Track Ultra Marathon, Katoomba (5)
TNF 100 Katoomba, NSW (1)
Canberra Ultra Marathon (1)
100k Great North Walk Ultra Marathon (1)
Gold Coast Marathon (4)
Simpson Desert Cycle Race (2) (5 day event, 600k's on Mountain Bike)
Murray River Kayak Marathon, Victoria (1) (5 day event, 600k's)
Hawkesbury Canoe Classic (4) (Single Day Event, 111k paddle)
Freycinet Challenge, Tasmania (1) (Multi day Event incl; run, kayak, riding)
24 hour MONT Mountain Bike Race, Canberra (1) (Team participant)
12 hour Mountain Bike Race, Blue Mountains (1) (Solo Competitor)
12 hour Mountain bike Race, Blue Mountains (1) (Team Competitor)
24 hour Katmandu Adventure Race, Myall Lakes, NSW, Australian
All things going to plan, we will have completed 7 Ultra marathons on the 7 continents -
Australia - The North Face 100 - Completed
Asia - Gobi March - Completed
South America - Atacama Crossing - Completed
Antarctica - The Last Desert Race - Completed
North America - Rock & Ice Ultra - Pending, March 09
Africa - Sahara Ultra - Pending, October 09
Europe - Race to be confirmed, early 2010 or before.
Rock and Ice Ultra. "The Other Desert"
On the 21st March 40 of the worlds most extreme will be up against it in what can be only be described as one of the toughest footraces in the world!
When I was first asked about this race, my thoughts were: Are you kidding?
Why would anyone want to run 230kms across a place that is quoted in a recent climate study of Canada's 100 largest cities, Yellowknife ranked first in:
- Coldest Winter
- Coldest Spring
- Coldest Year-Round
- Most Cold Days
- Most Deep Snow Cover Days
- Extreme Wind Chill
- Most High Wind Chill Days
- Driest Winter Air
Is it possible for someone who has no idea about these climates to push his body for 6 days in such a climate?
I tossed and turned on it for a while then decided that it was something that I had to have a crack at! Why would it be any harder than the Atacama Desert when temperatures pushed over 40 degrees everyday? The Rock and Ice will be tough, I accept that, I accept that I wont have the support of fellow teams mate Michael Hull and Frank Fumich but every now and then we have to see what we can do. What we do when we are completely up against it. I expect to be up against it that is for sure!
We can train as hard as we know, we can push day after day until we have nothing left to offer but racing is different! I will be right; I will be warm, thanks Mountain HardWear.
Pete Wilson.
Team Mountain Hardwear/Team Trifecta
Africa - Sahara Ultra
Mountain Hardwear athletes Michael Hull and Pete Wilson have just returned from an epic race through the Sahara Desert in Egypt.
Michael and Pete teamed up with Frank Fumich from the USA to win the teams divisions of the 6 stage , 250km race. This was the third time the trio had teamed up to win the teams division. Their two other wins came in the Atacama Desert in Chile and The Last Desert race in Antarctica last year. All three events were the same format and are part of the "4Deserts" series organised by Hong Kong based company RacingThePlanet. The fourth event is held in the Gobi Desert in China, an event which they completed in June 07.
Michael and Pete have now completed all 4 Desert and are now members of the exclusive "4 Deserts Club". They are only the 2nd Australians to complete the gruelling global series.
Conditions in the Sahara were brutal. With average temperatures each day of between 42-44 degrees, with the maximum temperature reaching 49.7 degrees on the third day.
The first 4 days of the event the boys averaged between 40-44kms each day. These days were just a warm up for the long day which was 90kms.
The race is fully self sufficient with competitors required to carry all their supplies for the race (food, sleeping bags, medical kit, clothes etc) with them in their backpacks. The backpacks usually weighs in around 10kgs.
RacingThePlanet also hold once off races every year in different locations around the world. The 2010 once off race will be held the Kimberley Region of the Western Australia in April. So after a well earned rest it will be back into training for the ultra marathoners as they prepare for a solid performance in their home race.
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