The gents of Kublai Kai in Varanasi during the Rickshaw Run in 2023.
If you ask us, we’ve all gotten a bit too comfortable these days…
Sitting on our couches. Faces buried in our phones. A virtual encyclopedia of movies and television at our fingertips.
But have we lost our sense of adventure?
Enter the Rickshaw Run.
The Himalayan Edition
Imagine yourself squashed into a motorized tuk tuk tackling thousands of miles of Indian roadways in an old school adventure.
This is the Rickshaw Run.
This year the vagabond devils of Kublai Kai will be attempting to complete the most extreme version — the Rickshaw Run Himalaya. They’ll tackle over 2800km of remote valleys and seasonal high passes on the tallest mountain range in the world. Big climbs, tiny roads hacked out of the mountain side with huge cliffs-edge drop offs, snow and ice. But imagine those spectacular views!
After crossing the mountains, they’ll hit sea level and sand as they transition through the semi-arid plains of northwest India. The Great Thar desert in Rajasthan will be waiting on the other side. It's known for shifting dunes, occasional sand storms and, as you may have guessed, it's on the warm side at times.
And if these brave chaps survive all that, they’ll coast (or sputter) into the Golden City of Jaisalmer and the finish line surrounded by adoring crowds and rickshaw run immortality.
Sensible? Maybe not. Adventure of a lifetime? You bet.
There’s no set route. Only a time limit and a finish line. The only certainty is that you will get lost, you will get stuck and you will break down. But yes, you will make it. And you’ll be better for it.
The goal is to experience a part of the world few have the privilege to see and to interact with people that aren’t accurately represented in a sound bite on cable news. It’s about visiting some of the oldest cities in the world and building friendships across continents.
All while raising money for two great charities.
“We’re fighting to make the world less boring. Our planet used to slap us about the face-cheeks with iron fists of adventure every day. Maps had edges to walk off. Whole continents lay undiscovered.
But now, the entire surface of the Earth has been scanned by satellites and shovelled into your mobile phone.”
— The Adventurists
What is the Rickshaw Run?
It’s pretty simple, actually. It’s an adventure trip, a charity fundraiser and a life changing experience.
You race teams from around the world from Leh, Ladakh to Jaisalmer, Rajahstan in northwest India. How you get there is your own choice. And while winning isnt’ the ultimate goal. You will be challenged. You will have to think on your feet. But you must finish… all while having some adventures along the way.
What better way to dive face first into a country and culture to see the real India? It may not all be pretty, but again that’s the point.
Want more? Visit the official site of The Adventurists.
Raising Money for Charity.
We’re also raising money for two great charities. Cool Earth, the official charity of The Adventurists organization, and the charity of our choice, the World Literacy Foundation We figure if we can help out others via our own shenanigans — even better. Donate here.
August 12 — August 23, 2025
Leh to Jaisalmer
India
The History
The Rickshaw Run was created when the Adventurists organization fell in love with the little monsters known as the motorized rickshaw while on a jaunt in India.
The first edition launched in December 2006 from Kochi, Kerala and snaked its way up to Darjeeling, West Bengal.
Since these humble beginnings, the Rickshaw Run has grown into a beast. There have been more than 40 editions, and literally, thousands of people have gathered at the alter of the rickshaw from all corners of the globe in attempt to complete this adventure.
This August, teams from around the globe will join team Kublai Kai for the 2025 Himalayan Rickshaw Run.
Russ Breckenridge and Stuart Murphy before departing on the original Rickshaw Run in 2023.
Hello. I’m a Tuk Tuk.
Kneel before engineering’s highest life form. If [insert deity of your choice] had made machines he or she probably wouldn’t have bothered with a Rickshaw. But they would have been wrong.
They’re not very fast and they break down more often than a push mower. But somehow, all this makes them better. They are, unquestionably, the greatest vehicle on the planet. What they lose in style, they gain in simplicity. They’re the only way to to cross thousands of miles of adventure, the very pinnacle of un-style and lost-grace.
Only one question remains: What will we name our magnificent metal chariot?
Raising Money for Charity
It’s not just about the adventure, the team is also raising money for
Cool Earth and The World Literacy Foundation.
