Indian Autorickshaw Challenge

The Indian Autorickshaw Challenge is an international amateur motor rally self-styled as ‘an amazing race for the clinically insane’. The entrants use the ubiquitous Autorickshaw or Tuk-Tuk, workhorse of the urban east, to cross large portions of the Indian sub-continent in a matter of days. The simplicity of the Autorickshaw and the diversity of the landscape requires ingenuity and intrepid spirits from its participants. The IAC has two distinct events, the Classic Rally and the Mumbai Express Rally. These two rallies’ are designed as escapades to test the entrant’s levels of endurance and perseverance, as well as for humanitarian projects, but are essentially not geared towards racing or competition, maintaining the spirit of the amateur adventurer.

The Classic Rally

This is the shorter and lower impact of the two possible events, spanning roughly 1000 kilometres, across 12 districts and one Union territory. The daily stretches are still of up to 200 kilometres long, and can be strewn with significant natural and human obstacles, ranging from densely packed urban sprawl to monsoon rains to uncooperative bison on the roadways.

The route is within the southern Indian province of Tamil Nadu, and extends down the southern coast of India between the start lines in Besant Nagar Beach, Chennai to the checkered flag in Kanniyakumari at the continents southern tip.

Last years 2006 Classic Rally was held between 31st of January and 8th of January, with 16 Autorickshaw teams participating. This year’s attendance is expected to be of upwards of one hundred teams.

The Championship itself is comprised of a series of activities along the route designed to challenge physical and mental agility, with points being awarded for their completion in addition to completing that day’s leg. Last years champions were Ian and Rachel Bayles, a British couple from Goa, India of the team Pukka Tuk Tuk.

The Classic Rally Route

The 2007/2008 Rally proposed itinerary will look like this:

The Mumbai Express

The Mumbai Express is a significantly more extensive and demanding route than the IAC Classic, covering 1921 km along India’s west coast, through its central regions, and to the eastern coastal city of Chennai. This rally is an increase of scale in all respects from the Classic, but maintains the same spirit of amateur adventure and humanitarian awareness. There is also significantly more nightlife on this route as it passes through famous beach destinations such as Goa.

The Mumbai Express Route:

The 2007 Mumbai Express Rally proposed itinerary will look like this:

Humanitarian Focus

One of the most important elements of both the Classic Rally and the Mumbai Express Rally is their fostering of the Adopt A Village program. In this program each entrant team will be assigned a specific village along their road route that badly needs their help, particularly the children of the village. Entrants will liaise with their village before setting off for India to begin the challenge, and will have time to gather requested supplies and raise financial aid for that village. Every penny of profit made by the rally is immediately put to use sponsoring the education of the village children, in an attempt to alleviate the crushing poverty and child labour issues that affect the area. The combined effect of each team’s efforts for the area is hard to overestimate, and the organisers of the rally are proud of their association with project.