Team Axarsport - Team Profile.

R. Paul Bateson - Director Team Axarsport - originally from England born 5/1/51 in Lancashire but lived mainly in Yorkshire, has been a resident of Spain since 2001. He is now living near Santa Cruz del Comercio and Alhama de Granada in the region of the Poniente Granadino. With a background in marketing and promotion, publishing and outdoor pursuits he brings a rare blend of talents to Team Axarsport s.l.

RunBikeHike a Sports Training / Holiday Programme now in its ninth year in Andalucia. He comes with a background of 13 years of cycle racing, road, track and cyclo-cross experience plus fell and adventure racing in the UK. His cycling career in England was ended by a hit and run accident. As a result of this accident, he has gradually lost his hearing over the past 15 years, but this in no way has kept him from achieving great success.

Other Experience :

• 3 years as a Civilian Instructor with Air Training Corp, teaching navigation
• Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme supervisor
• Mountain Leader Training Board approved first Aid Certificate
• Mountain Leader Training Board (summer conditions) trained

• 6 years in outdoor retail trade (Base Camp Ilkley)
• Organized road races and North of England / Yorkshire Cyclo-Cross championships
• Competed in 5 Three Peaks of Yorkshire Cyclo-cross races
• Fell running at all distances from 3 mile to marathon

• Raid Sahara 1984 (2CV) drive across the Sahara Desert Morocco, Algeria
• Raid Laponie 1986 (2CV) drive across the Arctic, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland
in winter
• Backpacked Tour of Mont Blanc, France, Italy, Switzerland
• Hiked Israel, Jordan and Tunisia

• Backpacked Sierra de Gredos, Central Spain
• Horse trekked in Andalusia
• Marathon Running, best, Seville 2001 (3:50)
• Marathon des Sables, Morocco

• Regional Duathlon and Mountain bike races
• Ronda 101 Duathlon, 2003 1st Vet
• Half Marathon Malaga 2004 (1:34)
• Half Marathon Malaga 2005 (1:33)

• Half Marathon Malaga 2006 (1:32:35 7th vet)
• 2006 Andalucian Mountain Running Champs. 2nd, ( vet over 50 cat ) ( 67 / 290 overall )
• 2007 Pico Veleta 50km uphill ( 6hr 24min, 3rd vet 50 )
• Half Marathon Malaga 2008 (1:31:07 7th vet)

• Ronda 101 2008, 13hr 59min, 154th from 2000
• 2008 Pico Veleta 50km uphill ( 5hr 35min, 1st vet 50 )

• Since moving to Spain participated in duathlon as a veteran, winning or making first
three in all events contested. Also competes regularly as a runner in
mountain / road / trail races and participates in mountain bike / road cycling events
• Regular contributor to STREETWISE magazine, TRAIL RUNNER and other publications

Mark Steven Woolley, 44, British but now lives in Alhaurin de la Torre, Málaga, wife, Elena is from Málaga, 2 children Javi and Laura. Profession: School Science teacher. Ph. D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Málaga.

Started as a mountaineer and rock climber and ran for basic fitness but when a friend convinced him to enter a 2 day long distance orienteering event (80 kms) in the mountains he has never looked back. ( They won ).

A serious fall in the mountains resulted in a leg broken in 5 places but surgery and year later Mark was running again but whilst out training running down hill the femur on the good leg pushed through the knee cap and surgery was required once more.

Having completely given up on fell running, Mark’s old orienteering partner, Jose Luis Rubio persuaded him to take part in an 80 kms event just for fun. Although they weren’t the strongest in the field, the weather was appalling and they were the only team to not get lost. They won. Mark’s interest in Ultra and Fell running was rekindled.

With 2 damaged legs balancing each other out Mark went on to:

• Finish a number of 50 and 100 kms events, particularly the 101 kms de Ronda and the
50 kms Subida Granada Veleta.
• Do a sub 3 hr Marathon (Sevilla)
• Organise a popular mountain race in Alhaurin
• Participate in the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc 4 times, finishing 3
• Run from sea level to the summit of Spain’s highest mainland mountain at 3482 M.
and 80 kms.

• 2007 March 3rd. 115 kms. 4000 M D+. Trans Gran Canary. 25 hrs
• 2007 March 24th 72 kms 1500 M D+. Ronda Mountain duathlon 42 kms mountain bike,
          30 kms running. 6th overall, 2nd Vet. 5:31 hrs
• 2007 May 19th 101 kms 2400 M D+ Ronda. 12:02 hrs. 13th Vet
• 2007 August 5th. 50 kms 3000 M D+ Granada Pico Veleta. 12th overall, 2nd Vet. 4:47 hrs

• 2007 August 24th Ultra trail Tour du Mont Blanc. 163 kms 9000 M D+. 42 hrs
• 2007 September 28th Spartathlon. Did Not Finish. 115kms reached
• 2007 December 15th 24hrs Barcelona TV3 173 kms official. 7th overall
• 2008 March 30th 100 kms Madrid. Spanish Championships. 9:02 hours. 13th Overall

• 2008 April. Raly a Pie. 80 kms mountain orienteering. 3rd Overall
• 2008 May 17th 101 kms 2400 M D+ Ronda. 10:07 hrs. 18th Overall
• 2008 August 4th. 50 kms 3000 M D+ Granada Pico Veleta. 11th overall, 2nd Vet. 4:47 hrs
• 2008 September 27th Spartathlon. DNF’d. 170kms reached. (Hypothermia)

• 2008 December 22ndh 24hrs Barcelona TV3 188.6 kms. 5th overall
• 2009 February 6th Malaga Almeria Carretera de la Muerte 210 kms 35 hours
• 2009 March 16th 100 kms Madrid. Spanish National Veteran Championships. 8:46 hours
          10th Overall, 2nd over 45 vet
• 2009 March 30th Ronda trail marathon. Homenaje a la Legión. 43 kms. 6th overall, 1st vet

• 2009 July 12th – 17th Alandalus ultra trail 250 kms, 5 stages desert conditions. 22:53 hours
          total, 2nd overall
• 2009 August 2nd . Granada Pico Veleta. 50 kms 3000 M D+ 5:03 hrs
• 2009 August 8th Puerto de Motril at 0 M – Summit of Mulhacen at 3482 M. 75 kms
          11:47 hours. Fastest ascent of Mulhacen (highest mainland mountain) from the
          sea to date.
• 2009 August 25th CCC 100 kms 5500 M D+ Training run for Spartathlon. 22 hours

• 2009 September 26th Spartathlon. 246 kms. 34:30 hours. 77th overall, 1st Brit

Poniente Granadino, Andalucia, Spain.