Shillong, Aug. 1: The colour, noise, excitement and adventure will revisit the Meghalaya capital next week as adrenaline junkies gear up for the Rickshaw Run from the Scotland of the East, Shillong, to God's Own Country, Kerala.

Organised by UK-based company The League of Adventurists, the event is considered the largest autorickshaw race on the planet. Shillong has been witnessing the yearly event since 2011.

The official launch of this year's Rickshaw Run will be on Wednesday from Polo ground. It will end in Kochi on August 20.

"Brave participants from across the world are coming to Shillong. They will embark on an epic journey to Kochi. The teams have no set route, no back-up along the way. They are truly on their own," said event manager Matthew Dickens.

He added that 83 teams were preparing their rickshaws to have a great start on Wednesday.

"The participants, representing 23 countries, will be riding, rolling and wiggling their way across the subcontinent in their tinny steeds to Kochi. What makes this journey even more memorable and noble is the fact that each team raises £1000 for charity with at least half of its sum going for the official rain forest preservation charity, Cool Earth," he said.

On Shillong's five-year association with the Rickshaw Run, Dickens said: "Meghalaya is a real gem in the Northeast. I hope many of our participants are able to travel to some of the remotest areas of the state, as the scenery is simply out of this world."

Kochi was very dear to Rickshaw Run as it was the birthplace of the event, he added. "With its charming and quaint streets, it makes an ideal finish line, where the teams can relax if they manage to complete the journey."

For many of the participants the event would be one of many firsts, including travelling to India, driving a rickshaw or just experiencing the enthusiasm and love for which the people of this country were so famous, he added.

"The next few days, as the teams throng Shillong, will no doubt be packed with energy, colour, noise, and excitement. Let the merriment begin," Dickens added.

The League of Adventurists International, based in Bristol, noted that the event had a lighter side, but the important message was to introduce the participants to the real India.

"This is not a typical package holiday. When the teams lose and all hope seems futile to them, Mother India and her generous people shall envelope them in a fondness that many would not have encountered before," the League said.

It also noted that it was thrilled to be raising a large sum of money for worthy charities across the nation.

"The Rickshaw Run has now raised well over £2,000,000 (around $3.1 million). It is a huge boost to the good work that these charities and our official charity Cool Earth are doing. In fact, each Rickshaw Run event raises enough money for Cool Earth to save 1,50,000 trees in some of the most endangered rain forest in the world," the League added.

The League of Adventurists International is at the helm of many similar events around the world.

The League currently organises seven events worldwide, including the Mongol Rally and the Mongol Derby, the largest car rally in the world and the longest horse race in the world, respectively.