Oxfam’s 3rd Trailwalker Brisbane 100km endurance event finishes

Events, Media Releases, News, Oxfam Trailwalker article written on the 16 Jun 2013

Oxfam Australia’s Trailwalker Brisbane finished this morning, with 72 per cent of walkers completing the 100km endurance event.

While most of the teams finished yesterday afternoon, Brisbane team ‘RedManRunners’ were the first complete team to cross the finish line on Friday night, completing the walk in 14 hours and 10 minutes.

The last walkers across the line just after 8am this morning, were Tim Robson, Michael Date & Janine Polkinghorne from team ‘100km #hectic’ and Mikaela Mason from team ‘Holy Walkamolies’, who had been part of two teams walking the full 100km together.

‘RedManRunners’ team members Sarah Pfeffer and Melanie Canfell said the team, which included other Brisbane locals Alan Barber and Shaun Mulholland, had been encouraged to keep pace along the mountainous trail by the volunteers.

Mrs Canfell, who is a mum-of-six, including 16-year-old quadruplets, said the team had trained three times a week with a long run of around 30km every weekend to work up to the event.

‘Shane’s Holiday Xperience’ is aiming to run all four Australian Trailwalkers this year in less than 48 hours combined, but team member Shane Lawley pulled out of the event early, meaning his teammates were the first to cross the line in 13 hours and 19 minutes, but not as a complete team.

Team members David Overend, David Wilson, and Steve Whitehead admitted they had a challenge ahead of them in the Sydney and Perth Trailwalker events later this year.

“The Brisbane trail is a beautiful one, one of the best, but we will have to make up the time we lost,” team captain Mr Overend said.

The team will attempt to run the Trailwalker Sydney and Perth events in less than 23 hours and 20 minutes combined in August and October this year.

The fastest all-female team to cross the finish line as a complete team of four was ‘Watch This Space’, who finished the trail in 19 hours and 42 minutes.

Of this year’s 1096 Trailwalker Brisbane participants:

  • 789 (72%) walkers finished the trail
  • 249 (91%) teams finished with at least one walker
  • 116 (42%) complete teams of four made it to the finish line
  • Average time to complete the 100km was 30 hours and 21 minutes.

Trailwalker Brisbane Coordinator Simon Barwick said all participants should be congratulated for taking part in the event and raising almost $750,000 for Oxfam Australia, while continuing to fundraise for another month following the event.

“Taking part in an Oxfam Trailwalker is an amazing effort and all money raised goes towards Oxfam’s life-saving work helping some of the world’s poorest communities find pathways out of poverty,” he said.