'Stupid idea' propels run along ancient Silk Road

German arrives in Shanghai after 12,000 km odyssey

The world today is enough to make some people want to get up and just run to the ends of the Earth, so that's what Kai Markus decided to do.

Troubled by what he sees as growing bigotry and division in the world, the German management consultant gave up a successful business to run the ancient Silk Road from Hamburg to Shanghai in a Quixotic quest to show that we are all one.