From Koteshwar to Kaho: Delhi boys drive non-stop for 4000 km to win endurance rally

Gumball India Endurance Rally, is a driving challenge where the participants have to drive cross-country for more than 3000 km non-stop between two centres in the minimum distance navigating through multiple check points.

Everyone loves a challenge, especially when it combines something you love with an opportunity to delve into unknown. What can be more exciting than a rally which pits driving enthusiasts against each other in reaching from one point to the other, 4000 km apart, using the shortest routes in minimum time, and giving them an opportunity to explore the relatively unknown territories of India.

Gumball India Endurance rally, this year, posed a unique challenge to the driving enthusiasts wherein they had to drive non-stop for 4000 km navigating through several checkpoints from Koteshwar, Gujarat to Kaho, Eastern Arunachal Pradesh. The event that took place between December 24 to 28 saw Kushagrr Agarwal and Rajatesh Maji (Team KARM 2.0, Ford Endeavour) from Delhi emerge as winners as they finished as In-Class and Over-All champions navigating the competition in minimum distance and time stopped. They were followed by Ashish Bidhia and Roht Kashyap (Team Defenders, Toyota Fortuner) from Ranchi as first runner-up and Alok Mishra and Aditya Sharma (Team Urban Nomads, Ford Ecosport) from Noida as second runner up in the competition.

Gumball India Endurance Rally, an initiative of InCarNation Sports is a driving challenge where the participants have to drive cross-country for more than 3000 km non-stop between two centres in the minimum distance navigating through multiple check points. Every time they stop, whether for fuel, meal or bio breaks, there is a penalty which is added to their total distance clocked. The participants are free to choose their route as long as they check-in at the earmarked check points.

This year the rally was designed to cover ten states and began from Koteshwar, the westernmost tip of India. Driving through Rann of Kutch, Patan, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Kota, Jhansi, Rewa, Darbhanga, all the participants had to reach Guwahati in the first leg where they had a mandatory 10-hour break, following which, they had to enter Arunchal Pradesh in the second leg. All the participants were received at the finish line by the Indian Army Unit at Kaho, the eastern most tip of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China. Of the 16 participating teams, only 8 managed to reach the finish line within the stipulated time allowed.

Rajatesh Maji from the winning team (Karm 2.0) said “The rally was extremely challenging, where we had to research on finding the shortest routes which took us through small country roads, sometimes no roads, rural hinterlands and unexplored territories mostly in pitch darkness. The final 24 hours were extremely tiring but we had to keep ourselves motivated to cross the finish line in the stipulated maximum time allowed.”