Why Nilgai?

We started CapitalTrails in 2019 with the aim to promote and encourage people to get outdoors via trail running. We envisioned an extensive system of local trails that are 'connected'. In this endeavour, we started calling this Project TrailConnect.
As part of Project TrailConnect, we explored numerous runnable trails in and around South Delhi, Gurugram and Faridabad. Our first 'long' continous loop of 37km (also known as CT40) was mapped in late 2020 and there has already been one successful FKT on the route. However, the CT40 route was rather ad-hoc and the first attempt was done pretty much without structure and preparation.
Throughout 2021, we started working on a bigger, more ambitious project - titled CT90 - which would become the longest continuous runnable single-loop route that NCR has seen! This involved re-mapping a lot of trails that we had already known and were familiar with in order to trim the unnecessary fat. In March 2022, we finished mapping 90km (actually, 89.8km) worth of clean, local, FKT-able trails between the three cities and adjoining villages of New Delhi, Gurugram and Faridabad.
At the time of writing this post, the route is being submitted to Fastest Known Time and also being published on various other mapping platforms.
As the last piece of the puzzle, and to connect CT90 and CT40, we decided to give the story a new name. A name that would be:
- Locally and culturally relevant
- Simple and easy to talk about
- Iconic and representative of the region
- Opportune for education and conservation
And thus, The Nilgai Trails were born.
The Nilgai Trails have 2 routes that are FKT-able:
- The Nilgai City Trail: A 35km route through various forests, historical and urban trails of South Delhi to show the true character of the city.
- The Nilgai Forest Trail: A 90km single-loop through the forests of Delhi, Faridabad and Gurugram to capture the essence of the entire NCR.

The Story Behind the Name

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