It was a true honor to sit down with Hal Russell on the back porch of his Missouri home. At the age of 70 Hal is continuing to push the limits of what we believe humans are capable of. As I type this he is on the Great Divide route for the 6th time! Equally impressive is that he didn’t even start cycling until he was 57. His athletic accomplishments are accompanied by a big smile and humility that he has become well known for.
Follow him and the other riders on the 2019 Tour Divide: http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide19
1/20/22
The bikepacking community woke up this morning to the sad news that our friend and hero, Hal Russel, lost his battle with cancer. Like many of you I looked up to Hal, he was a true source of inspiration and an example of how to be a good person that changed peoples lives for the better.
Last Tuesday the 11th, I was scheduled to meet with Hal to record another podcast, but I tested positive for Covid that morning. I had planned to drive back up today to meet with him, but unfortunately the laws of nature had other plans. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy and example will continue to be a guiding light for anyone who was fortunate enough to know Hal.
In his honor I’m going to be collecting stories from the community to share in an upcoming episode to pay tribute to this larger than life human. If you have a story you’d like to share please send me an email with a brief description to bikes@bikesordeath.com
Rest in Peace Hal
Your Friend,
Patrick Farnsworth
2018 I met Hal for the first time before we both competed in he GG500 2019 after our interview on the back porch of his home in MO
