Trailwalker and the related Trailtrekker are fundraising endurance events conducted across the world by Oxfam and The Gurkha Welfare Trust (Trailwalker UK). Teams of four competitors must complete a course of in a set time limit - typically between 24 and 48 hours. The routes may be point-to-point or follow a circular route returning to the start.
History The event was established in 1981 by Brigadier Mervyn Lee in Hong Kong as a training exercise by the Queen's Gurkha Signals, part of the Brigade of Gurkhas of the British Army, which was at the time based in the British colony. In 1986, teams of civilians were allowed to take part and Oxfam Hong Kong was invited to co-organise the event.
In 1997, with the handover of Hong Kong to China, the Gurkha regiments were relocated to the United Kingdom. The Trailwalker event followed the Gurkhas' relocation and was organised over the South Downs in Sussex, with Oxfam in the UK acting as partner since 2002, alongside the Gurkha Welfare Trust. Oxfam Hong Kong continued to organise the original event without the Gurkhas and the event has grown with 17 events now taking place across 10 countries worldwide.
In 2017, Ian Crawford of Petersfield, Hampshire, continuing his support of the Gurkha Welfare Trust and aged 74 years old, completed a record 19th UK Trailwalker in a time of 29hrs 34mins.
In late 2022, Oxfam withdrew from organising Trailwalker UK. It is now solely organised by The Gurkha Welfare Trust in partnership with The Queen's Gurkha Signals.
The Trailwalker UK course record was set in 2024 when team Gurkha ARRC finished in an incredible 9 hours 23 minutes, smashing the previous record set in 2004 by the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment.
Events Country Location Start Finish Time Limit Year Hong Kong Maclehose Trail Pak Tam Chung, Sai Kung Tai Tong, Yuen Long 48 hours 1981 United Kingdom Trailwalker South Downs Petersfield Brighton Racecourse 30 hours 1997 United Kingdom Trailtrekker Yorkshire Dales Skipton Skipton 30 hours 2009 Ireland Trailtrekker Newcastle, County Down Donark Park Carlingford 30 hours 2009 Australia Sydney Hawkesbury River Seaforth 48 hours 1999 Australia Melbourne Jells Park, Wheelers Hill Wesburn Park, Yarra Valley 48 hours 2003 Australia Brisbane Mt Glorious Mt Coot-tha 48 hours 2011 Australia Perth Darlington Lesmurdie 48 hours 2013 New Zealand WhakatāneEdgecumbeWhakatāne 48 hours 2019 Japan Odawara City Lake Yamanaka 48 hours 2007 Belgium High Fens Bütgenbach Eupen 30 hours 2008 France Parc du Morvan, Bourgogne 30 hours 2010 France Vallee d'Abondance in the Haut-Savoie, [] 30 hours 2014 Germany Spessart Bad Orb Bad Orb 30 hours 2010 Spain Girona Olot Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Costa Brava) 32 hours 2011 Spain Madrid Valle de Lozoya 32 hours India Bengaluru Anekal or Mekedaatu Eagelton-Bidadi 48 hours 2012 India Mumbai Mulshi Lake Lonavala 48 hours 2012 Spain Euskadi Vitoria Mountains Vitoria Mountains 32 hours 2017 Korea Gurye and Jiri MT. in Jeollanam Guyre Natural Dream Park Guyre Natural Dream Park 38 hours 2017
Common rules There are some common rules across all the Trailwalker and Trailtrekker events. Each team must have four members, who are required to cross all checkpoints and finish line together, although teams may continue with only three members if one has to retire. The Trailwalker event course, referred to as 'the trail,' is 100 kilometres long. Participants should also organise a support team, plan and start their training schedule at least three months before the event. All teams must raise a minimum sponsorship amount. Failure to raise the stated amount could mean teams do not take part in the scheduled event. Teams failing to meet the required amount approx $1600 are given an opportunity in the next years event with no refunds on entry fees and fund already raised. Teams raising over the threshold will take priority in registering for Oxfam Trailwalker next year.
Macau TrailWalker In mid-2010, Upward Bound Unlimited (UBU), a Macau-based company which organizes sports tourism events in the Pearl River Delta region, and Macau's main English-language daily newspaper, the Macau Daily Times, announced that a cross-country hiking event called "Macau TrailWalker"http://www.macau-trailwalker.com/ would be held later in the year with the support of the local Macau authorities. The event was held on 9 October 2010 on the outer island of Coloane and consisted of a 30 km category and a 12 km category.
Prior to the event, Oxfam Hong Kong issued a press release stating among other things that it was not associated with the event or any of its organizers (nor had it been contacted by them), that it did not approve nor endorse the event, that no sponsorship money from the event would be used in any Oxfam aid work, and that it "reserved the right to take appropriate legal action to protect the Trailwalker name".
References
External links The Gurkha Welfare Trust Trailwalker UK Oxfam Trailwalker Hong Kong Oxfam Trailwalker Japan Oxfam Trailwalker Melbourne Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney Oxfam Trailwalker Brisbane New Zealand Oxfam Trailwalker Oxfam Trailwalker France Oxfam Trailwalker Canada Oxfam Novib Trailwalker Netherlands Oxfam Trailwalker Germany Oxfam Trailwalker Belgium Spain - Intermon Oxfam Trailwalker Oxfam Trailwalker India