www.richshawrun.com Thirty teams from seven countries completed the Rickshaw Run charity adventure, despite exploding engines and bent chassis', with no back up or support The teams left Cochin, in the south Indian state of Kerala, on 28th December and threw themselves at 3500km of wild terrain, finishing in less than two weeks! The hill station of Darjeeling was brought to a standstill by the Sight of 150cc auto Rickshaws in the foothills of the Himalayas for the First time in 50 years 'The journey would not have been possible without the help and support of Indian people across the country' - teams say the intense journey was made feasible with the constant help and support from Indian people The streets of Darjeeling came to a standstill when 31 teams from round the world held a parade through the heart of the hill station to celebrate completing the .travel sponsored Rickshaw Run charity adventure. Many of the local population were amazed the tiny 150cc three-wheelers had even made it up the steep hill to the town. The arrival procession, led by a marching band, marked the end of the intense driving. The Rickshaw Run was created and organised by the Institute of Adventure Research. Managing Director, Tom Morgan, who also took part in the Run, said: "For many months people have been telling me the Rickshaw Run was not possible, so I have to say I'm delighted and a little smug to be standing here with 30 teams who all arrived in the two weeks. This is the first ever Rickshaw Run and while I knew it would be a great adventure, I had a lot more fun than I expected. The event has been a huge success, raising over £35,000 for charity. "Before the teams had even finished we started getting emails from people round the world asking how to sign up for the next one. We are going to make it even harder though, spanning pretty much the whole of the Himalayan range. The details will be released on our website along with other events, like the Mongol Rally, which challenges teams to drive from London to Mongolia in sub 1-litre cars." The Rickshaws will be distributed to poor families in West Bengal in conjunction with a local partner. |