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An
ambitious undertaking considering the challenging conditions of the Indian summer climate, and the difficulty of running through previously un-run
territory.
The Route
From Kasargod to
Kanyakumari...along the green stretch
Kerala, the tiny sliver of green and blue on the South Western Coast of India, known better by the sobriquet 'God's Own Country', is a stunning study in contrast to much of India with its wet tropical landscape, high social development, political activism and with a gentle pace of life. Yet, the alluring beauty and general level of development does not insulate you from the difficulty of the hilly terrain, the humidity and heat, and the madness of the Indian roads.
The
plan is to begin the run in Kasargod in North Kerala on 2 nd May,
meandering from village to village through the historic and
culturally diverse towns of Kannur, Calicut, Palghat, Trichur,
Cochin, Kottayam, Alleppey, Kollam, Trivandrum. The final
destination: Kanayakumari at the most southern tip of India where
the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea merge into the Indian Ocean.
All along the way, the adventurers will veer off onto roads less
travelled to discover un-run terrains, un-clicked images and untold
stories. Signalling the end of the challenge will be the Vivekananda
Rock off the coast, where a famous Indian began a global challenge
of his own.
Throughout
the run, they will feed into an interactive website and daily web
log (blog) that will document the tribulations of the adventure.Featuring
not only the tale of the run itself, but also the happenings of the
multitude of worlds that they pass through. Over the month, they
will share images and tell the stories of the people and places they
encounter across rural and urban Kerala; a running tale of personal
insights, struggles and successes.
Supporting them and believing that this is not in the realms of the impossible are a large network of people in the UK, India, USA, South Africa, Australia, Germany and Fiji. So, why is this global network backing these three men on a seemingly insane expedition? Promoting endurance running as an adventure is only a narrow edge of their mandate...
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The
Dusty Path to the Comrades Ultra-Marathon
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more
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HEELS
ON FIRE LAUNCH
IN LONDON
Wednesday, 26 April, 7:00 pm Crown Tavern
Hindu
May
11,2006
more
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Business Standard
May 6, 2006
more
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Indian
Express
May 2, 2006
more
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The Objectives and Goals
The run has three spin-offs
•
A Running Adventure.
To do something no one has ever done before. This is a unique endurance run of 600km in the challenging and harsh conditions of an Indian summer. We will be writing for both Men's Health and Runners World (SA and the UK). Perhaps even a book on the adventure!
•
Travel and Tourism.
To write travel articles highlighting off-the-beaten-track, soft-footed responsible tourism. The India and Kerala tourism boards are right behind us, as are a number of the daily newspapers in the UK and India.
•
Facilitating Development discussions, learning and linkages.
'Heels on Fire' as a run, will kick-start a new and innovative development hub between like-minded people who want to learn and share with others working in the development world. This may be directly in projects, as sponsors, as donors, or as concerned individuals. It will be ongoing well beyond the run.
This is your chance to get involved and to give a little input in real development issues, bringing about change from the comfort of your desk.
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