The Mongol Rally

The Mongol Rally is an annual automobile race that was first started in 2004 to raise money for charity. Participants in the rally start their journey in London and have to make their way across Europe and a significant portion of Asia to reach Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. The Mongol Rally bills itself as ‘the greatest adventure in the world’ and has attracted a greatly of media attention and competitors since its humble beginnings in 2004.

The focus of the Mongol Rally is that competitors are undertaking an adventure, rather than racing against each other, and they will be reminded that racing on public roads is illegal. There is no prize for the person finishing first, most likely to discourage speeding on public highways. Also there are very few arrangements made for the competitors and challenges such as organising accommodation and maintaining vehicles is left to them to organise.

There have been several changes made to the Mongol Rally since it started, most notably the rules concerning the engine capacity of vehicles which used to be less than 1,000 cc, but has now been increased to 1,200 cc as the Mongolian government now insists that competitor’s vehicles must be less than ten years old. The entry fee has also increased significantly since the Mongol Rally first started due to the increased costs as it has grown. However a great deal of money for charity is raised each year as teams must make a minimum charitable donation of £1,000, which they will most likely raise from friends, family and their local community.