Its creator, Gérard Fusil, took the existing concept of long distance endurance races like the Whitbred Round the World Yacht Race, and focused on the team aspects, requiring each competitor to be part of a five-person co-ed team supported by a two-person logistics crew.
The Raid had no set course, with competitors being required to rely on their wits and judgment to reach the specified checkpoints.
Geoff Hunt and his expat French partner Pascale Lorre replicated the event as the Southern Traverse[2] in 1991.
Entrepreneur Mark Burnett competed in the Raid in 1993[4] and secured a license from Fusil to run the race in the United States under the name Eco-Challenge, first held in Utah in 1995.
New Zealand adventure racer John Howard entered and won four Raid Gauloises, including 1989, 1991, 1994, and 1998.