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Peter Bakwin
Boulder, Colorado
Running Experience:
Guru
Why should we pick you to go to the North Pole?:
I am a certified adventure junkie! I have run in races of all distances (1 mile to 750 miles) all over the world. I'm extremely self-sufficient, and have done many solo and team adventures in the wilderness. I hold various odd-ball speed records, such as the fastest known time for the Paine Circuit in Patagonia (100+ km, 15:39) and the fastest time for the Kokopelli Trail in Colorado and Utah (140 miles, 32:47). With Buzz Burrell, I climbed Mt Rainier, Mt Adams and Mt Hood all within a 28 hour period. I was the first person to run the classic John Muir Trail in under 4 days (223 miles in 94:04). And, I am the only person to complete a double Hardrock 100 mile (200 miles of the Hardrock course in under 96 hours). Plus, I am an avid and experienced traveller, having visited 47 countries so far (but not Russia!)
"The hardest part is simply having the gumption to take a shot at realizing something that seems impossible, whether that is running your first marathon, your first 100 miler, or perhaps the entire Pacific Crest Trail!" |
Offer some evidence that you can complete a marathon in harsh, sub-zero conditions at the North Pole:
See above! I am an ultra endurance specialist with a particular penchant for mountain wilderness adventures. I have climbed Aconcagua (22,841 feet) twice, both times in a single day from Base Camp (14,300 feet). I have also climbed all of Colorado's 54 peaks over 14,000 feet, including several in winter.
Tell us about your cold-weather race experience:
While I don't have a ton of experience racing in extremely cold weather, I have done numerous snow-shoe races in the mountains of Colorado, including the Turquoise Lake 20 mile. Aconcagua was also extremely cold, of course, and for the speed ascents we had to reduce our gear to the lightest possible components, while maintaining a margin of safety.
Tell us about your marathon experience, including times, results, etc.:
My focus has been on ultramarathons, rather than marathons. But, I have run several marathons, with a best time of 2:56 on a flat, sea-level course. I have run 16:04 for 100 miles (split in a 24 hour race), and 140 miles in 24 hours. I have run several 100 mile trail races including Leadville (20:20, 5th place), Massanutten (21:27, 2nd overall, masters course record), Rocky Racoon (16:35, 5th place), etc. I have run 75 races of marathon and greater distance.
What do you expect your North Pole Marathon time to be?:
6 hours sounds about right
Can you write well? Explain:
As a research physicist I have written numerous articles for publication in the scientific literature. I have also published several articles in Ultrarunning Magazine, TrailRunner Magazine, Running Times, etc. I would like to use the blog to inspire others to reach farther than they might have thought possible. We need to challenge ourselves; it affirms our existence on a deep level. The hardest part is simply having the gumption to take a shot at realizing something that seems impossible, whether than is running your first marathon, your first 100 miler, or perhaps the entire Pacific Crest Trail!
Tell us about your media experience:
As a leader in the Boulder area trail and ultra running community, I have been interviewed frequently by the local press for various stories. Also, Uncage The Soul Productions is working on a short film of our Cascades Trifecta project (Rainier, Adams and Hood in 28 hours).
Websites:
http://pbakwin.home.comcast.net (my home page)
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=7353&c=8 (an article I wrote for Running Times)
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2006/jul/24/struggle-strength-and-spirit/ (article about the double Hardrock)
Show us your video:
No video, but plenty of photos on my website at http://pbakwin.home.comcast.net
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.thumbnail.JPG "Kissing the Hardrock")
Anonymous says:
Peter doesn't need anothe notch in his running shoes. I'd rather see the entry go to someone who has done less of this sort of thing. It would make for a more compelling adventure and a better story.
Anonymous says:
There could not be a better person to compete in the NPM. He is extremely qualified, well spoken, well connected, and very humble.
He would be a major asset to your race.
Dave Mackey says:
Knowing Peter Bakwin, he will of course run a fast time and represent well for yourrunning. he will probably win the race. He is very well written, can document with the best of them, and knows how to shoot excellent photos. More importantly, he is a world-class climate scientist and knows better than anyone how climate change is affecting world systems. This background makes him a great candidate to report with authority from the pole about global warming.
Dan says:
Peter's credentials are second to none for this type of thing. The only reason not to let him in would be he'll probably demolish the competetion! I paced peter on his second lap of his double Hardrock 100 and it was truly inspirational to watch him race and support his fellow competitors.
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