History
Oxfam Trailwalker started as a military training exercise run by the Queen's Gurkha Signals Regiment in Hong Kong in 1981.
In just over 20 years Oxfam Trailwalker has become a major international fundraising event held in Hong Kong, the UK, Japan, New Zealand, Belgium and Australia.
The event has raised more than $60 million internationally with thousands of people competing each year.
Oxfam Trailwalker was first held in Sydney and Adelaide in 1999, raising more than $250,000. The event now raises more than $4 million annually in Australia. In April 2003, Melbourne was added to the Australian Trailwalker calendar.
The Gurkhas flew over from the UK to participate in the inaugural Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney, setting the first Sydney Trailwalker record of 15 hours and 5 minutes.
The Gurkhas won again in 2000 and 2001, and in 2002 they finished in a record-breaking 12 hours and 41 minutes. The Actrun team from the ACT Mountain Running Association lowered the record to 11 hours 59 minutes in 2005.
In 2003, a Gurkha team entered the inaugural Oxfam Trailwalker Melbourne, setting the first record of 11 hours and 27 minutes.
In 2007, The Dashing Divas won the Oxfam TRAILWALKER Melbourne event and in doing so became the first all female team to ever win an Oxfam TRAILWALKER event anywhere in the world.
In 2008, Team Muttley won the Oxfam TRAILWALKER Melbourne event in 11 hours and 26 minutes, setting a new Australian record finishing time and shaving 1 minute off the previous record of 11 hours 27 minutes set by The Gurkhas.
Fundraising Hall of Fame
Melbourne
| Year | Team | Team Name | Team Members | Raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 582 | Hip vs Hype | Monica Kordic, Rowan Te Kloot, Timothy Toner, Liam Wallis | $44,620 |
| 2007 | 081 | RSY | Chris Langdon, Andrew Hamman, Mark Richards, Rodney Walker | $80,821 |
| 2006 | 225 | Mamaruda | Matthew Slatter, Don Blair, Russell Flack, Mark Whelan | $78,063 |
| 2005 | 7 | The Bond Team | Bernie Balmer, John Connellan, John Higgins, Dick Marsh | $66,915 |
| 2007 | 593 | Allco At It Again | Daren Castle, Michael Kerr, Kerry Paki, Michael Timpany | $66,490 |
| 2005 | 225 | Camasapi | Catherine Slatter, Pippa Grange, Samantha Needle, Matthew Slatter | $55,275 |
Sydney
| Year | Team | Team Name | Team Members | Raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 476 | The Trailing Commission | Timothy Toner, Peter Long, Michael Walmsley, Lachlan Wiedersehn | $62,513 |
| 2007 | 4 | Frozen Turkey | Anthony Sweetnam, Chris Austin, Shane Doyle, Harley Wright | $60,212 |
| 2006 | 4 | A Passion to Perspire | Timothy King, Douglas Farrer, James Forrest, Matthew Prior | $60,161 |
| 2005 | 148 | Allco Striders | Mark Worrall, Andrew Bennett, John Kelly, Marc Logan | $58,351 |
| 2006 | 244 | Slightly Warm Turkey | Anthony Sweetnam, Ian Holmes, Joel Denney, Kim Slaminka | $58,350 |
