Do Something Different this Christmas: Join An 'Almost Impossible' 2,000 Mile Adventure Across India in a Rickshaw

The first ever pan-Indian Rickshaw Run will start on 27 December and serve up the ultimate antidote to turkey sandwiches – a 2,000 mile adventure across the subcontinent from south to north in comically unsuitable three-wheeled auto rickshaws.

(PRWEB) November 3, 2006 -- The first ever pan-Indian RickshawRun.com will start on 27 December and serve up the ultimate antidote to turkey sandwiches –- a 2,000 mile adventure across the subcontinent from south to north in comically unsuitable three-wheeled auto rickshaws.

Applications are now open for the Christmas charity challenge with a difference that is expected to take two weeks to complete. Created by the organisers of the Mongol Rally to satisfy the growing demand for off-beat modern-day adventures with no guaranteed outcome, this is not for the faint hearted. There is no back-up and teams will face a daunting mix of terrain from the adrenalin fueled urban jungle to muddy mountain tracks.

Our flagship event, the Mongol Rally, has become hugely popular, and the Rickshaw Run will follow a similar format, albeit with less wheels and less preparation. The teams will get the satisfaction of taking on a seriously extreme road trip with a fleet of similarly brave souls, but what happens between the start and finish is entirely down to them!

Teams pay just £97 to enter and then raise a minimum of £600* for the official charity, Mercy Corps, which is donated directly via the secure website justgiving.com. Preparation is minimal because the organisers' team in India will have the Rickshaws ready and waiting at the start line.

All the teams have to do is 'distance-pimp' their rickshaws by emailing their custom designs and modifications to the team of mechanics and artists, apply for an international driving permit, and get themselves to southern India, ready for a classic overland experience.

The journey begins in Cochin, in the southern state of Kerala, and ends just short of the Himalayan foothills in Darjeeling, West Bengal, conveniently also the home of the world's finest tea. The Rickshaws will then either be donated to needy families in conjunction with Mercy Corps or sold and the proceeds put towards worthy projects in the region.

20 teams have already decided to make Christmas 2006 one to remember, and the inaugural Rickshaw Run adventurists will be an international bunch with entrants from the UK, America, Sweden, France and Germany signed up. There are still plenty of spaces for new teams and all the information you need can be found on www.rickshawrun.com

While the team's choice of route and personal safety during the journey will be entirely their own responsibility, organiser Tom Morgan insists that proceedings begin in appropriate fashion:

"We'll kick off the shenanigans with a game of cricket and afternoon tea before thundering off to tackle the whole length of India in Rickshaws. The route is almost impossible, but it wouldn't be an adventure if teams knew what was going to happen.

"What better way is there to enjoy the Christmas holidays than two weeks of mountains, mud tracks, tropical heat, freezing mountain fog, gin and tonics, cricket and that most noble of vehicular genius, the three wheeled motorised rickshaw?

"Our flagship event, the Mongol Rally, has become hugely popular, and the Rickshaw Run will follow a similar format, albeit with less wheels and less preparation. The teams will get the satisfaction of taking on a seriously extreme road trip with a fleet of similarly brave souls, but what happens between the start and finish is entirely down to them!"

*Information is correct at time of writing

Notes to Editors:

About the Rickshaw Run
The Rickshaw Run is part of the portfolio of events created by the Institute of Adventure Research. More details can be found on the event website: www.rickshawrun.com

About The Institute of Adventure Research
The IoAR is an adventure events specialist committed to raising money for charity and creating opportunities that can't be found in a high street travel agent's window or in a tour guide's brochure. Participants enjoy the combination of camaraderie between teams and an extreme common goal while retaining complete control over their own journey.

Teams are entirely responsible for their own welfare and the organiser provides no back-up once teams are on the road.

The flagship event is the Mongol Rally, the hugely popular budget banger rally that challenges teams to drive a quarter of the way round the world in a 1-litre car that most people wouldn't use for the shopping run. In July 2006, 167 teams left London to take on the beast… The event website is currently being revamped but will be back online soon: www.mongolrally.com

About Mercy Corps
For more information about Mercy Corps, see their website: www.mercycorps.org

For more information and interviews with participants, please contact:
Dan Wedgwood
+44(0)117 397 1994
Skype: dcwedgwood

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