The first team of four has completed Oxfam’s challenging 100km charity endurance event in Brisbane, less than 12 hours after setting out from Mt Glorious.
Team Calibre Consulting crossed the finish line just before 7pm tonight, saying they felt “relief beyond words” at reaching the end of the event.
“This is one of the hardest events I’ve ever done,” the team’s Chris Trustcott said at the finish line, after he and his teammates ran the majority of the 100km trail.
Team leader Jonathan Worswick said the most interesting part of the event for him was the team dynamics.
“We all have different running talents, some are better at running uphill, some at running downhill. To get everyone to run together is the real challenge.”
The remainder of the 1400 participants in the event will reach the finish line between tonight and Sunday morning, with most walkers expected to arrive at Mt Coot-tha between 7am and 5pm tomorrow, June 16. Participants must finish the 100km trail through D’Aguilar National Park in less than 48 hours in their teams of four.
Around 550 volunteers are working around the clock to support the walkers, in roles such as podiatrists, physiotherapists, drivers and “sweep teams” to clean up after the walkers. Another 700 people are losing sleep over the weekend as support crews for each team, providing them with food, band-aids, hugs, clean socks and anything else they need to keep walking.
So far, Oxfam Trailwalker Brisbane has raised $960,000 for Oxfam Australia’s work to fight poverty around the world. It is hoped the event will raise more than $1.2 million for Oxfam.
To donate or track teams over the weekend, visit http://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/brisbane/teams/team-tracker/
Professional photos of the event, including images of Team Calibre Consulting crossing the finish line tonight, are available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oxfamtrailwalker/sets/72157629978445822/with/7189111833/
(Photos should be credited to “Lara McKinley/OxfamAUS”; higher resolution images can be obtained by emailing rainah@oxfam.org.au)
Picture opportunities of teams crossing the 100km finish line are available from 9am tomorrow, Saturday June 16 at JC Slaughter Falls at Mt Coot-tha.
To arrange interviews with teams and Oxfam spokespeople or to obtain images of the event, please contact Oxfam Australia Media Coordinator Raina Hunter on 0402 145 820.
Comments are closed.