History

Did you know that Trailwalker started out as a Gurkha Training Exercise in Hong Kong in 1981? Read on to learn more about this historic event.

Timeline

1981 EXERCISE TRAILWALKER began in Hong Kong, organised by the Queen’s Gurkha Signals. Taking place along the famous Maclehose Trail, the exercise sought to test the endurance and teamwork of the QGS soldiers.

1986 Trailwalker Hong Kong open to Civilians, co-organised by Oxfam Hong Kong.

1997 The Queen’s Gurkha Signals moved to the UK. Trailwalker took place for the first time on the South Downs Way.

1999 The Gurkha Welfare Trust became involved in Trailwalker UK.

2002 Oxfam UK partnered with The Gurkha Welfare Trust and Queen’s Gurkha Signals to organise Trailwalker UK. All funds raised were split between the two charities.

2023 Oxfam UK stepped back from Trailwalker, leaving The Gurkha Welfare Trust and the Queen’s Gurkha Signals to co-host the event with all funds benefitting Gurkha veterans, their widows, and their communities in Nepal.

Today, the 100km event takes place across the South Downs, with hundreds of civilian teams taking part every year.

Trailwalker still forms part of the Gurkha’s training exercises, and is also a much-loved cultural event in the UK Gurkha community’s calendar. Teams from the Gurkha regiments battle it out for the much-coveted first place, typically completing the course in under ten and a half hours. The Trailwalker record is currently held by the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistics Regiment, who completed the course in 9 hours 50 minutes.

For more information about the Queen’s Gurkha Signals, please visit their website.