Page 68 - RADC 2016

Exercise TRAILWALKER 100km
Maj Sarah Armstrong
Not one to shy away from any running activity, when the Station Commander of MOD Stafford called me with an opportunity to participate in what
he described as a “fantastic running challenge,” I probably
over 400 other teams, in order to push themselves to the limit whilst raising money for Oxfam and The Gurkha Welfare Trust.
The exercise has its humble origins from the time of the British Colony in
which Oxfam and the Gurkha Welfare Trust became partners to the event, opening it up to civilian participation from 1986.
Since the return of the Brigade of Gurkhas to the UK in 1997, the Queen’s Gurkha Signals sought to continue their tradition
of Ex TRAILWALKER. The course was set across the South Downs National Park in Sussex, in order to recreate the challenging terrain and tough climbs of the original, thus preserving the traditional character of the exercise as closely as possible.
Race Preparation
Race preparation involved a lot of early morning starts (04:30!) to prepare the feet, legs and mind for long distance racing in order to t training in around clinical commitments at the Dental Centre. As well as preparing
for the distance, nutrition was an important
should have done my research before volunteering my services!
It requires 4-man teams to tackle a 100km undulating course...
Hong Kong. The pioneer of the event, Brigadier Mervyn Lee established the rst exercise in 1981. It was held along the famously mountainous Maclehose Trail as
a training exercise
for the soldiers of
Exercise
TRAILWALKER is
a military exercise
organised annually
by the Queen’s
Gurkha Signals seeking to test participants’ endurance and team work over a long and arduous course. It requires 4-man teams to tackle a 100km undulating course across the South Downs against the clock and
the Queen’s Gurkha Signals. Embracing the spirit of the Gurkhas, it sought to push participants to the absolute limit of their physical ability. Quickly gaining notoriety, the exercise continued until 1985 after
66 RADC BULLETIN 2016
SPORT