LONDON: The first Trans-European Race is set to launch Aug. 5 this year, with contestants challenged to travel from London to Istanbul using only their feet and public transport.
Hitchhiking, flying and taxis (except from stations to hotels and back again) are all banned as part of the race, which is expected to take a minimum of five days and carries an entry fee of £99 ($124.43).
Prizes will be on offer for the fastest contestants — £2,000 in travel vouchers for the winner — but also for those who manage the feat for the least amount of money, and for whoever takes the scenic route and visits the most countries on the way.
UK-based firm Lupine Travel, which specializes in organizing trips to unorthodox destinations including Yemen and North Korea, will set a number of checkpoints for contestants to reach as part of the journey, with the first being the French capital, Paris.
The remaining checkpoints will remain under wraps to prevent contestants from planning their trips ahead to gain an advantage.
The direct distance between London and Istanbul is around 1,550 miles, but contestants can expect the race to extend across a much larger distance, taking in much of Europe.
Dylan Harris, Lupine Travel’s founder, said: “We don’t want to make it too easy, so people can’t just pre-organize everything in advance. It’s not just a case of getting to Istanbul as quickly as you can. The first checkpoint is going to be Paris, but you’ll only find out where the next checkpoint is once you arrive in Paris.
“We wanted to do something different. We’ve been running trips to really unusual, offbeat destinations all around the world. But we felt we wanted to make something more accessible and get away from group travel,” he said, adding that this race would be more about “real challenges.”
He added that the aim of the race was “getting people to have real experiences” and meet “real people along the way.”
