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Supporting the Local Communities through the Gobi March (Mongolia)
At every RacingThePlanet event, we make it a priority to give back to the local communities who live along our race courses.
These are often families living very simply, with limited income and little to no support from larger charities. Even the smallest gestures can have a profound impact on their lives - and we’re proud to play a part in that.
Sponsoring a Herding Dog in 2022
During the pandemic in 2020, we launched the RacingThePlanet Community Challenge, a virtual event that not only connected our global community but also raised funds to support the people living along our race routes in Mongolia, Chile and Namibia.
The funds raised for Mongolia were used to sponsor a Bankhar herding dog, a special breed that protects nomadic families and their livestock from predators such as wolves and foxes.
You can read more about this initiative, and meet the family who received their Bankhar dog thanks to the RacingThePlanet community, in our story Community Challenge: Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project.
Helping Nomadic Families in Mongolia
Over the years, we’ve donated essential items to nomadic families living along the Gobi March course, including:
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Solar batteries
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Monoculars
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Clothing, pens, and books for children
Solar Batteries
Nomadic farmers in Mongolia live completely off-grid, relying on solar power as their only source of electricity. However, the batteries needed to store solar energy are expensive, and while a government initiative in 2020 provided some support, many families were still left without.
During the Gobi March 2023, 2024 and 2025, RacingThePlanet donated 30 solar batteries each year to families who had missed out. These were hand-delivered by our competitors, volunteers and course team staff.
Watch this video of our course director, Carlos, donating a solar battery.
Monoculars
Mongolia’s landscapes are vast (as every Gobi March competitor will tell you!). For nomadic herders who rely on their animals for survival, keeping track of their herds of sheep, cows, horses, and camels can be a daily challenge.
Monoculars are an essential tool. Lighter and more durable than binoculars, they allow herders to spot their animals across huge distances, even while travelling by motorbike to round them up.
In 2023, RacingThePlanet donated 30 monoculars to nomadic families along the Gobi March route.
Clothing, Stationery and Books for Children
One of our RacingThePlanet alumni and 4 Deserts Club members, Jacqueline Eastridge, left her legal career in the United States to volunteer around the world with the Peace Corps. One of her postings took her to remote schools in Mongolia, where she not only taught but also enriched children’s lives by providing small but meaningful gifts - from warm clothes to simple school supplies.
Inspired by Jacqueline’s experience, we invited racers and staff to bring small donations (clothing, pens, colouring books or storybooks) to share with local children. The response was overwhelming, as was the joy on the children’s faces as they received them.
A Small Effort, a Big Impact
From solar batteries to schoolbooks, these simple acts of giving demonstrate the spirit of RacingThePlanet - connecting people across cultures and continents, and leaving a positive footprint long after the finish line.