It has been a breathless month here at Unived Sports – back to back events, hydrating hundreds of runners across the country – what a fantastic way to start 2015.
After the wonderful experience of providing hydration support for the Oxfam Mumbai trailwalkers in the majestic Sahyadris, the team was excited to head southwards for the Oxfam India Trailwalker Bengaluru 2015.
Oxfam Trailwalker is a fantastic cause to be affiliated with, and a part of our effort to give back to society. Trailwalker is powered by teams of 4 covering 100K over the course of 48 hours and raising funds towards empowering disenfranchised rural communities in India. The funds from Oxfam India Trailwalker go towards education, public health and gender justice initiatives. It was our privilege to give towards this initiative in our way – by providing 1400 liters of RRUNN to fuel the Bengaluru trailwalkers and keep them hydrated over the course of 48 hours.
Hydration is key when it comes to challenging trails like the route of the Bengaluru trailwalker. From Sathanuru to the end of the trail in Nettigere, trailwalkers traversed dense forested areas, stone mines and demanding ascents across 10 checkpoints. The Unived Sports team was onsite 24 hours before the flag-off to ensure that RRUNN was blended to isotonic perfection and distributed at the 10 checkpoints with help from the fantastic Oxfam Trailwalker volunteers. The volunteers supported the Unived team at every step to equip every checkpoint with enough rocket fuel for the incoming trailwalkers.
At 6 am on the 23rd of January, teams of 4 set out, united in the quest to do good and to beat the clock. The electrolytes and endurance boosting capabilities of RRUNN During enabled the trailwalking teams to power on through the course, keeping dehydration and fatigue at bay. There was much beauty to be found in this challenge, as the trail offered unparalleled natural sights in sepia tones and glimpses of rural life. There was no time to stare though, teams had their sights firmly set on racing their fastest 100K in unison.
Amazingly, the first team to cross the finish line achieved the feat in less than 24 hours. The Goldman Sachs team, ‘Every Mile Counts’, who are somewhat of a legend on the trailwalker circuit, repeated their 2014 victory by becoming the first mixed person team to finish in 16 hours and 13 minutes. We are told that team member Vaishali Kasture kept going despite a fall – bravo!
The Unived Sports team wishes to thank the team of Oxfam India for organizing two stellar editions of the Trailwalker in Mumbai and Bengaluru, and every team that gave it their all towards raising funds for a great cause. Over the course of our own trailwalker journey, we met some fantastically dedicated people and athletes, visited two stunning locations in Maharashtra and Bengaluru, and got the opportunity to do good by providing hydration support for these events. We are truly privileged to have had this opportunity and we thank Oxfam India for entrusting us with such a crucial part of the India Trailwalker.
