A group of fourMelbourne men finished the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker in just 11 hours and 20 minutes today, and are pledging to walk all four Australian Trailwalker events in under 48 hours this year.
The team, Dave’s Holiday Xperience, set off on the trail from Jells Park in Wheelers Hill at 7am on Friday morning, and finished at Westburn Park just after 6.20pm.
Team leader David Overend said it was an incredible feeling to have run the 100km trail non-stop well under their target of 11 hours and 30 minutes.
“Between us we have collectively done 20 Oxfam Trailwalkers and the best feeling is always crossing the finish line,” he said.
“This year we are doing all the Trailwalker events inAustraliaand hope to do it in less than 48 hours.
“We have done a lot of training and it has taken a lot of effort getting here but it’s worth it.”
The team – Mr Overend, 36, of Abbotsford, David Wilson, 46, of Box Hill, Shane Lawley, 40 of Mill Park, and Steve Whitehead, 49 of Mt Waverley – plan to run in the Brisbane, Sydney and Perth Trailwalker events this year in under 48 hours and raise more than $10,000.
Trailwalker Melbourne Coordinator Brett Long said the teams should be congratulated on their determination and endurance.
“This is no easy feat, these teams have pushed themselves to the extreme to finish in such a time,” he said.
“Not only finishing in the fastest time, the team has raised more than $1700 for Oxfam’s life-saving work around the world.”
The event might be over for Dave’s Holiday Xperience tonight but the majority of teams are still on the trail, with most expected to finish on Saturday afternoon and some others in the early hours of Sunday morning.
This weekend 750 teams of four are walking or running 100km of rugged Victorian bush from Jells Park in Wheelers Hill to Wesburn Park, through the Dandenong Valley Parklands to the Yarra Ranges.
To take part in Trailwalker Melbourne, each team must fundraise a minimum of $1000, with the aim of raising $3 million overall. More than $2 million has already been raised by the teams taking part.
More than 800 volunteers are helping run the massive event, while another 3000 people are acting as support crews for each team, providing them with food and supplies.
To arrange interviews with the fastest team or for more information contact Oxfam Australia Media Coordinator – Anne Wright on 0411 035 695.
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