7 June 2011

Trailtrekkers 2011 set to raise £350,000 for Oxfam

They came, they saw, they ran, walked and hobbled and finally they slept. The dust has settled on Oxfam Trailtrekkers 2011, the third epic adventure through the Yorkshire Dales that raises over £300,000 every year for development and emergency relief work overseas.

A total of 648 participants in 173 teams of four set off this year from Skipton in the cool morning sun. The 100 km circular walk took them though some of Yorkshire’s most stunning scenery, including sections of the Pennine Way and the Dales Way. They braved high winds, mist, rain and the darkest of nights to see in the dawn with the finish line finally within reach.

397 participants and one feisty terrier, Scooter, walked the whole 100 km route back to Skipton. A winning time of fifteen hours and three minutes was set by Matt Burgin and Robert Bullen of the ‘Mad Dogs’ Team. The teams that came in second and third position were ‘The Flock’ and ‘Team Sapper.’ The last team came in on Sunday afternoon, more than thirty hours after the start.

Not everyone made the full distance, but everybody who took part made a huge contribution to the fundraising effort. The total funds raised for Oxfam this year could pass all expectations, possibly rising as high as £350,000. “It is so inspiring to see that despite the economic gloom people are still happy to reach into their pockets to help tackle hunger and poverty in the developing world,” commented WildFox Event Director David Fox Pitt. 

WildFox Events followed the fortunes of local man Peter Gleave (from Settle, Yorks), who together with Russ Parks, Mark Burnley and Lee Milburn from Willmott Dixon, are expected to raise more than £3,000 for Oxfam. They aim to be the highest fundraising team in Yorkshire.

Peter (second from right in picture) said he had chosen Trailtrekkers because it is one of the most challenging events in the UK. “Nothing out there touches Trailtrekkers and the harder the event is, the easier it is to get sponsors,” he commented. Helped by living so close to the route Peter’s team trained regularly in the Dales in the run up to the event.

All their hard work paid off when they crossed the finishing line exhausted but elated in the 10th team place. Peter explained in simple terms why he, together with his teammates, had put themselves through so much blood, sweat and tears: “We did it for the challenge, we did it for the team event, we did it for Oxfam.”

Following the success of Trailtrekker 2011, we are already looking to work with Oxfam to extend the number of teams from 173 this year to more than 300 next year. Sign up now for 2012 and be part of this fantastic adventure challenge!

Check out our Flickr site to see WildFox’s top selection of Trailtrekker 2011 images.

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