Three Sydney men have finished the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker in just 12 hours and 29 minutes.
The trio, from team GUNN Runners Gu-Newton-Nathan, set off on the trail from Brooklyn at 7am today, and finished at Mosman just before 7.30pm.
Team members Ian Gallagher, Damien Smith and Jono O’Loughlin all finished the event, while teammate Paul Gillan had earlier retired injured.
Mr O’Loughlin – a third-time Trailwalker who was part of the Quality Meats team that set the record time of 12 hours 7 minutes back in 2010 – said he always enjoyed the event. “It was awesome. The course is really stunning, and it’s very challenging.”
The first team to finish as a group of four was Mountain Sports – Paul Robertson, Beth Cardelli, Ewan Horsburgh and Shane Simpson – who crossed the line 13 hours and 24 minutes after they set off on the 100km trail.
Mr Horsburgh said preparing as a team was part of their success. “It’s great to do it with a group. We had so much fun.”
Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney Event Coordinator, Marcus Fehlberg congratulated Mountain Sports for being the first team of four over the 100km finish line.
“Not only were they the first team to finish Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney this year, they also raised more than $1000 for Oxfam’s life-saving work around the world.”
But Mr Fehlberg said all the teams taking part in this year’s event should be commended for their determination and endurance.
“Walking 100km is no easy feat, and every team taking part in this year’s Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney has pushed themselves to the extreme,” he said.
The majority of teams are still on the trail, with most expected to finish tomorrow, and some others in the early hours of Sunday morning.
This weekend, approximately 500 teams of four are walking or running towards their goal of completing 100km of rugged Australian bush in less than 48 hours to help raise money for Oxfam Australia.
To take part in Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney, each team must fundraise a minimum of $1000, with the aim of raising $3 million overall. Close to $1.8 million has already been raised by the teams taking part.
More than 700 volunteers are helping run the massive event, while another 1000 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 Chee Chee Leung on 0412 560 584.
Comments are closed.