Bengaluru: Registrations for Oxfam Trailwalker India 2019-2020 walkathon have opened. This year will mark the seventh edition of the Mumbai event and the ninth edition of the Bengaluru Trailwalker. Last year, actress and fitness enthusiast Mandira Bedi flagged off Mumbai Trailwalker while yoga guru Natasha Noel, actor and writer Harman Singha walked to inspire participants.

In previous years, actor Milind Soman, actor and Oxfam Global Ambassador Rahul Bose have also flagged off Oxfam Trailwalker and walked for the cause.

"It is incredible to see so many people come together to voluntarily walk for hours to support the cause of equality. It is difficult and challenging. There are millions of people who need support to beat poverty and I congratulate Oxfam for the wonderful work they are doing," said actress Mandira at the event.

This year, 100km and 50km trails will pass through the majestic Western Ghats, that happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Bhor Ghat in the quaint town of Karjat in Maharashtra.

The town lies on the banks of River Ulhas. In Bengaluru, the trail will start from the edge of a beautiful valley in the Nandi Hills. It passes through more than 30 villages, from Sultanpet to Olde Bangalore Resort. Plantations of grapes, vegetables and flowers dot the picturesque landscape.

In 2018-2019, around 1,600 people from all across India walked 100km (or 50km) for an equal world. Oxfam Trailwalker India is also the biggest team fundraising event in India. Last year, people raised over Rs 5 crore to contribute towards Oxfam India's projects on education, health, gender, forest rights and discrimination in the six poorest states of India (Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh), a media release from the organisers said.

The participating teams this year will have an ambitious target of breaking last year's fastest team Columbia HK's record of completing the 100km trail in 16 hours and 35 minutes.

"We need fitness lovers to join our fight to end discrimination, to ensure that poor children, particularly girls, go to schools, to advocate for good quality and free government health services, and to provide support for families who have lost everything in floods and disasters. We believe that Trailwalker is an opportunity for those who care about the world, to make meaningful change," said Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar, who walked the 100km event with his friends at the Mumbai edition last year.

Oxfam India is organising free-to-attend, open-to-all training sessions every month in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru for participants, employees of corporate partners and interested individuals to prepare them for the ultimate challenge.

Walkers can register their teams of four for the Mumbai and Bengaluru edition of Trailwalker on the website https://trailwalker.oxfamindia.org