Oxfam Trailwalker (Hong Kong) logo.
End point of 2011 HK Trailwalker 2011

Trailwalker or Oxfam Trailwalker and the related Trailtrekker are fundraising endurance events conducted across the world by Oxfam, in which teams of four competitors must complete a course of 100 kilometres (62 mi) 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.[1]

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.[2]

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.[3]

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.

Events

CountryLocationStartFinishTime LimitYear
Hong KongMaclehose TrailPak Tam Chung, Sai KungTai Tong, Yuen Long48 hours1981
United Kingdom TrailwalkerSouth DownsPetersfieldBrighton Racecourse30 hours1997
United Kingdom TrailtrekkerYorkshire DalesSkiptonSkipton30 hours2009
Ireland TrailtrekkerNewcastle, County DownDonark ParkCarlingford30 hours2009
AustraliaSydneyHawkesbury RiverSeaforth48 hours1999
AustraliaMelbourneJells Park, Wheelers HillWesburn Park, Yarra Valley48 hours2003
AustraliaBrisbaneMt GloriousMt Coot-tha48 hours2011
AustraliaPerthDarlingtonLesmurdie48 hours2013
New ZealandWhakatāneEdgecumbeWhakatāne48 hours2019
JapanOdawara CityLake Yamanaka48 hours2007
BelgiumHigh FensBütgenbachEupen30 hours2008
FranceParc du Morvan, Bourgogne30 hours2010
FranceVallee d'Abondance in the Haut-Savoie, []30 hours2014
GermanySpessartBad OrbBad Orb30 hours2010
SpainGironaOlotSant Feliu de Guíxols (Costa Brava)32 hours2011
SpainMadridValle de Lozoya32 hours
IndiaBengaluruAnekal or MekedaatuEagelton-Bidadi48 hours2012
IndiaMumbaiMulshi LakeLonavala48 hours2012
SpainEuskadiVitoria MountainsVitoria Mountains32 hours2017
KoreaGurye and Jiri MT. in Jeollanam Guyre Natural Dream ParkGuyre Natural Dream Park38 hours2017

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),[4] 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"[5] would be held later in the year with the support of the local Macau authorities.[6] The event was held on 9 October 2010[7] 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".[8]

References

  1. ↑ "What We do - Oxfam Hong Kong".
  2. ↑ "Oxfam Trailwalker | Oxfam International". www.oxfam.org. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  3. ↑ "Petersfield man is hiking the trail for the 19th time". Petersfield Post. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  4. ↑ "Upward Bound Unlimited". Archived from the original on 1 February 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  5. ↑ http://www.macau-trailwalker.com/ Archived October 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "'TrailWalker to discover Coloane', Macau Daily Times, 28 June 2010". Macaudailytimes.com.mo. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "1st Macau Trailwalker, October 9, 2010 - Part 1". YouTube. 9 October 2010. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Oxfam Hong Kong's Statement Regarding "Macau TrailWalker" 2010-09-02". Oxfam.org.hk. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
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