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Best-selling author Alex Hutchinson to speak in Victoria, British Columbia, on Friday, July 25, at Frontrunners.
The scientist-turned-journalist will be speaking about his latest book, The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map. To a lesser extent, Hutchinson will also talk about his New York Times best seller Endure: Mind Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.
According to Hutchinson, “We are wired to explore, and it is primal. The latest science tells us that exploration in any way — whether it is trying a marathon race, changing dietary habits, or attempting a new career- there is an origin story to it. Some of us are more exploratory than others. So we think.”
Hutchinson explains that exploration is very much alive in us today. It manifests in everyday life.
The Explorer’s Gene weaves exploration with the latest studies from behavioural psychology and neuroscience. The writing provides profound insight into why we continue to search for new challenges.
Distance running included.
Hutchinson has been speaking at various locations across Canada since the release. The Toronto area father is taking his family to Vancouver Island to hike the remote North Coast Trail.
During this trip, he will stop at Frontrunners to speak to a limited audience. While tickets are free, the event is likely to sell out.
Hutchinson’s articles can be found online at the New York Times, Canadian Running Magazine, and Outside Magazine to name a few.
In 2008, Hutchinson received a National Magazine Award for his work covering technology for Popular Mechanics. In 2012, he received a Lowell Thomas Award for his travel writing in the New York Times. His new book, The Explorer’s Gene, was released in March 2025.
Hutchinson has a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Cambridge and graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
