Public lecture : Ocean rowing and human evolution; an unlikely combination

This public lecture was delivered by Dr Danny Longman, Lecturer in Physiology in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, on Thursday 19th January at 5:30pm.

In this talk, Danny Longman took us on a rowboat between the icebergs of the Arctic Ocean and across the troubled waters of the Black Sea (metaphorically, of course). The talk discussed the physical and mental challenges that come with the physical strain, undernourishment, seasickness, and exhaustion of restricting sleep to 60-minutes sessions, and what makes it all worthwhile. Finally, Danny discussed how his ultra-endurance and research careers are fundamentally intertwined, each benefitting from the other.

Dr Danny Longman is an evolutionary biologist and ultra-endurance athlete. His research focuses on human adaptability and function. Alongside his research, Danny is a passionate ultra-endurance athlete and has completed a series of ultra-endurance challenges, and to date has set 8 Official Guinness World Records. These have included: • A 10,000km 6-month unsupported cycle from Mexico City (Mexico) to Ushuaia (Argentina), • Twice setting a new fastest known time for swimming the full length of all 13 publicly accessible lakes in the Lake District (71km, 41hrs 7 mins), • Becoming the first to row unsupported across the Arctic Ocean (1250km, 13 days), and • Setting a new fastest time for rowing across the Black Sea (1200km in 9 days, 18 hours).

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