Malabar Rampage-Rickshaw Challenge 2016 reaches M'luru

38 global participants of seven-day trip to reach Panaji today

Malabar Rampage 2016 – the seven-day voyage (April 3 to April 9), covering 1400 km on autorickshaws – has now passed through Mangaluru.

The tour started at Thiruvananthapuram on April 4, and passed through Alleppey, Kozhikode, before reaching the city. In Mangaluru, the event was flagged off on the premises of Government School, Mallikatta, on Thursday. On Thursday, it progressed towards Murudeshwar and will reach Panaji on Friday.

As many as 38 enthusiasts from across the globe will participate in Malabar Rampage-Rickshaw Challenge 2016. There are participants from countries like the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, France, Sweden and India who are going on tour with 18 rickshaws.

“A number of mini races and challenges are conducted on a daily basis to help the contestants get the opportunity to form a meaningful connection with the places they are visiting. The participants will not only get an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the rural countryside but also sample the local cuisine and culture,” said Princely Jeyachandran, Chennai Event Management Services representative, who is organising the rally.

“Along the way, the participants of the Rickshaw Challenge-Malabar Rampage 2016 will make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged by raising funds for various projects of Round Table India under their flagship programme, ‘Freedom Through Education’,” he said.

Participant Thomas, from Frankfurt, Germany, said that the journey inspires him for a better understanding of the culture of the nations. It is his first time in India, he said and added that he took time out of his engineering profession, to take part in the rally.

Josh Day, who hails from England, is participating in the rally along with his father and brother. He said that he got an opportunity to taste the coastal cuisine. He was a navigator by profession and loves to see happy people, he added.

‘Big Balipu’  
Deepak Ramani, honorary tabler at the Mangalore Round Table 115, said that tablers of The Mangalore Round Table 115, will organise ‘The Big Balipu Mangalore Marathon’ on April 10.

The event will be flagged off at Tannirbavi beach at 5.15 am. The race will be held in three categories: 21-km, 10-km and 5-km. The 21-km race will start at 5.30 am, the 10-km race will start at 6 am and the 5-km race will start at 6.30 am, with assembly and briefing of 15 minutes before the run. First, second and third-place winners will be awarded cash prizes. The exact time will be calculated through official timing chips. 

The glorious route winds along the beach to the quaint Kasaba Bengre village. Runners from Mysuru, Kerala, Bangaluru, Chikkamagaluru and Mumbai will take part in the event.

The youngest registered participant is 2.5 years old and the oldest registered participant is 73 years old, among the 300-plus participants registered until Wednesday. The Mangalore Round Table 115 has focussed on carrying out several development projects across the city of Mangaluru.

The money raised from the event will be used to help the Government School at Mallikatte, Ramani added.