100 kilometres to overcome poverty and injustice

Oxfam Trailwalker is one of the world's toughest team challenges and one of the most rewarding. Teams of four have to walk - or run - the 100 kilometre course in 48 hours or less. But it`s not just a physical challenge: participants are also raising money to help overcome poverty and injustice around the world. It`s a life-changing event. Oxfam Trailwalker is becoming a global phenomenon: nine events in eight different countries and counting.

Trailwalker`s North American debut took place this past July on the Ganaraska hiking trail starting at historic Fort Willow, Ontario. More than 200 hikers and an army of volunteers gathered in the mist and rain early on a Friday morning awaiting the starting horn.

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, on the sands of Wasaga Beach, the first team dashed across the finish line with high-spirits and many blisters! Team Body Battle, including Denine Ellis, Jillian Fairley, Andrea McCarthy and Ashley Fraser wore identical hot pink shirts as they reached the finish in just over 20 hours at 3:19 a.m.

The team ran most of the 100 kilometer trek through swamp, bush and along country roads, remaining neck-in-neck with a second team of four the entire time. The Hacks Team consisted of the 2007 World Curling Champions and 2010 Olympic hopefuls Craig Savill and Brent Laing, Heath McCormick and Andy Ormsby.

Other brave teams continued the second half of the hike on Saturday, heading out from various check-points at 4 a.m., all arriving at Wasaga Beach no later than 7 a.m. Sunday morning. Thank you to all the hikers, support crews, sponsors and volunteers!

Oxfam Trailwalker Canada 2010 is already in the works, so get your team together and start training today!

Watch www.oxfamtrailwalker.ca for details.