A guide to the Rickshaw Run

Racing across the subcontinent in an Auto Rickshaw (a tin can of a vehicle with a tiny engine) has to be one of the world’s most ambitious adventures. And it’s also one of the most rewarding – involving fundraising for charity, heartwarming interactions with locals and a totally unusual travel perspective.

For those who like their travel with a dose of adventure, here is your guide to the Rickshaw Run.

The essentials

Organised by the Adventurists, a brand that organises extreme experiences for thrill-seeking travellers, the Rickshaw Run is the younger sibling of intercontinental motoring race, the Mongol Rally.

Included in the entry fee is a rickshaw decorated with your own design and covered by insurance, a massive launch and finish party, key tools and parts, and a crash course (forgive the pun) in rickshaw driving before the race starts.

You can either take part in India, the Himalayas or Sri Lanka.

India

The Rickshaw Run around India has been held three times a year for the past ten years. As with the Mongol Rally, there is no fixed route but there are a couple of concrete principles; each race starts at the previous finish line and you’ve got two and a half weeks to cover 3,000 miles in a rattling rickshaw. Don’t even think about booking accommodation or planning far ahead. All you can do is gauge vaguely where you want to go and head in that direction for a true adventure – from making pit stops at sights like the Taj Mahal to driving through mountain ranges, jungle, desert and India’s chaotic, charismatic cities. Instalments of this ultimate thrillseekers’ challenge take place in January, April and August. Recover from adventuring by spending a night in a hotel worthy of a Maharajah, at Suryagarh Jaisalmer.

The Himalayas

The first Himalayan edition of the Rickshaw Run took place in September 2017, traversing the world’s highest mountain range in a vehicle with terrible suspension and tiny wheels. In one week, contestants have to drive from the former imperial summer capital, Shimla, to the high altitude desert city of Leh. The roads here are only open between June and September, when the snow eases off and the weather makes it possible (but still not easy) to cross 5,000 metre-high mountain passes. Be aware that Himalayan mechanics tend to be a few hundred kilometres apart and that the chance of finding spare parts for your rickshaw is pretty slim. Get your adventure off to a good start with a night at Shimla View Home, with beautiful Himalayan vistas from the most highly rated accommodation in the city.

Sri Lanka

The newest rickshaw adventure is through Sri Lanka and entails one week of driving your customised tin can across muddy, tropical roads. There’s not set route but whether you cross Sri Lanka from north to south, or circumnavigate the island, what you can know for sure is that you’ll cover thousands of miles of mountain, jungle and tea plantation, while passing wild elephants, mist-shrouded villages and palm tree-lined beaches. Be sure to stop for a fresh coconut break and get to know the warm and hospitable locals. Rly into the capital, Colombo and calm your pre-race nerves staying at the relaxing Urban Bliss Studio.