10,000km later: UWE alumnus leads historic Silk Road expedition across the finish line

After a gruelling 150 days of running 70km a day and covering almost 10,000km, two of Asia’s best-known distance runners, Kevin Lin Yi and Bai Bin, crossed the finish line of one of the most significant running events of 2011, led by UWE alumnus Andrew Strachan (pictured above, second from right).

The course, which started in Instanbul and ended in Xi’an, China, covered the historic ‘Silk Route’ - a network of trade routes across the Asian continent that gets its name from the lucrative silk trade. It aimed to raise awareness of water shortages in the Silk Road region, in particular for the Mother’s Water Cellar project which has provided access to drinking water for 1.3m people over the past seven years in China.

The two runners, Kevin Lin Yi Chieh (Taiwan) and Bai Bin (Mainland China) have run through Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the provinces of Xinjiang, Gansu and Shannxi in China. Apart from the punishing running schedule, Kevin and Bai Bin have faced extreme high temperatures in Turkmenistan and China, snow in Turkey and sandstorms in Xinjiang, China. They were hospitalized in Iran and have had to deal with the physiological impact of shin splints and gastroenteritis.

Expedition Leader and UWE alumnus Andrew Strachan said of the expedition: “I am delighted that the team has succeeded in what it set out to achieve. It’s been a long journey that will stay with the team for the rest of their lives. We are all grateful for the incredible support we’ve received along the way. Kevin and Bai Bin have shown unbelievable powers of endurance and, in some respects, redefined what “long distance running” really means.” An event was held at the finish line on September 16th where Jay Chou (one of the co-founders of the expedition) performed a new song dedicated to the project.

‘Running the Silk Road’ was the first in a series of unprecedented expeditions organised by The Home Expedition (THE). THE is an institute devoted to promoting a sustainable earth, long term solutions for deprived peoples/ regions and a sense of responsibility among privileged groups by means of expeditions throughout the world.