Redland team Another Bad Idea proved that walking in the Oxfam Trailwalker event was a good idea when the team was named the third highest fundraiser, bringing in $13,240.
The team comprising Graham Barrie, Tony Melloy, Gary Anthonsen and Richard Syron did the Kokoda Challenge last year and 11 years ago and used Trailwalker as a reunion. Only Anthonsen and Melloy made it to the end of the trail, finishing the 100km in 32 hours and 13 minutes. The others retired at check point five with blisters.
“We wanted to take on another challenge and we’d already done the Kokoda Challenge. This was one we hadn’t done so we thought we’d give it a go and do it for charity and raise some money,” Anthonsen said.
Oxfam Trailwalker is a fundraising endurance challenge where teams of four walk or run 100km in 48 hours or less, or 55km in 24 hours or less.
The first team to finish, Team Brioche, completed the 100km in 13 hours and 25 minutes, the fastest team on the Brisbane trail for the past several years.
The third team to finish on Friday night, Run ERP featuring Team 456, ran 100km in 15 hours and 20 minutes, went to bed and then completed the 55km event in seven hours and 50 minutes the following day, minus two injured team members, David Overend and Stephen Browne.
Brisbane teams have raised almost $840,000 so far this year for Oxfam’s work tackling poverty in communities around the world. Of the 257 teams that started most made it to the finish line, though less than half finished as a whole team of four.
