That's cobblers really, it didn't start until 2003. Mr Tom, who started The Adventurists, now hated by mothers the world over, spent as much of his youth getting in trouble in odd parts of the world as possible. He soon discovered travelling was dull, bumping into people seeking a religious epiphany through playing the guitar at inopportune moments didn't cut the English wholegrain. In his own and entirely hypocritical epiphany he realised that he was having the most fun when he ended up in what one might term, the shit.

Back in 2001 Mr Tom and his good friend Mr Julian Esq. were living in the Czech Republic. In a moment of slight drunken stupidity they bought the worst Fiat 126 in Europe at a totally extortionate price. They pointed it towards the most stupid place they could think of on a map - Mongolia - and off they set with a pack of cheap cigars a hunting knife and no changes of clothes. They failed miserably to get there but had so much fun and stank so much that they swore to try again.

The fiery light of obsession ignited and the Morgan Institute of Adventure Research was born way back in the year of our Lord 2002. MIAR came equipped with a website containing lots of totally crap ideas such as stick-on action hero faces if you felt your own face lacked a certain action-heroness, tips on how to defeat your arch nemesis in a fist fight along with handy videos of Tom and chums running each other over with cars and setting themselves on fire. A high point of intellectualism. In a corner of the site was a small thing called the Mongol Rally. It challenged one and all to drive to Mongolia in a Fiat 126. You could even submit a form to sign up for the rally, which nobody did.

By 2003 the Mongol Rally took over Tom's life and he wandered the streets asking people if it was possible to drive to Mongolia in Fiat 126. The answer was a resounding no. So after deciding that everyone was wrong, rough plans were made up. Figuring that there were not enough Fiat 126's in England for the millions of people who obviously were going to take part in the first Mongol Rally he slackened the rules to “any car under 1 litre and totally unsuitable for the task”. As the years ticked by more people found out about the Mongol Rally and in 2004 a whole 6 cars lined up in the back room of a bar in Shoreditch. Off they set and 4 of these gullible teams made it to the other end. So started the Mongol Rally. Within a year the word had spread and Tom had to call in the help of some chums to help with the website and things.

With plans for new adventures appearing all the time it seemed like the moment had come to create a central place to gather momentum for the movement against our boring world. After a variety of name changes, usually dropped for being too long winded, The Adventurists was settled on and the mighty Rickshaw Run was launched.

Things grew and grew and The Adventurists is now vast a gaggle of people, a few full time, some part time, a few volunteers and thousands of you lot ready to risk life and limb in search of ultimate stupidity.

The rest is not history because it hasn't happened yet, but it will. All in good time.

Source Adventurists.com