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WACKY RACES

FROM LONDON TO ULAANBATOOR: TWO GUYS, ONE CAR

Two thrill seeking Liverpool skydivers are aiming to satisfy their sense of adventure with a trans-global challenge worthy of any great explorer. Matthew Coughlan and Adrian Green (known collectively as Team:Improbable) are planning to undertake the 2008 Mongol Rally, a massive trek in which the participants travel from London to the capital of Mongolia. It involves over 200 cars, all of which have to be under 1000cc, and participants travel the 10,000 miles to Ulaanbatoor whichever way they like.

Unsurprisingly, both Matthew and Adrian are used to adventure, but this is a little different. According to the website, in 2005 43 cars set off and only 14 reached the finish line! 3 engines fell out, 1 team cycled 150 miles and no one died. This seems not to faze Team:Improbable though: ‘If something goes wrong, we’ll be like ‘what shall we do to sort this out? We don’t have a support crew or anything, so it really is an adventure!’

The event, set up in 2003 by two men calling themselves the Adventurists, aims to raise over £200,000 for Mercy Corps Mongolia, a charity that supports communities in Mongolia. Team:Improbable aim to raise around £3000 through personal donations and corporate sponsorship. Once they reach Ulaanbatoor, they will hand over the car to be sold along with all their equipment.

As Matthew says: ‘We are approaching local companies for sponsorship, getting equipment and basically selling advertising space on the car and we should have a website for personal sponsors soon too.’ The team are also on the lookout for another member to help with costs and the epic feat of driving 10,000 miles!

Well we wish Team:Improbable luck, and hope they’ve packed their phrase books!

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