SA Coastal Run
Date: July - October 2008...The Challenge: Run A Smile around Southern Africa...
The Result: mission complete
When Cipla's Miles for Smiles Foundation issued its next extreme challenge - to run a smile around the foot of Africa, the Cipla Spar Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge in Association with Round Talbe SA - David and Braam once again stepped up to the line.
Having successfully completed the Foundation's first challenge in 2006 of becoming the first people in history to run the length of the Great Wall of China non-stop, Grier and Malherbe couldn't resist the challenge of running the estimated 3500km non-stop from Oranjemund in Namibia via Cape Town in South Africa to Ponto d'Oro in Mozambique.
'Miles for Smiles'
They also couldn't resist the opportunity to again raise funds for Operation Smile SA. In addition, they will also be using Garmin GPS equipment to measure the length of the coastline.Despite the massive physical toll exerted on their bodies in the Great Wall Challenge, David (49) and Braam (50) have recovered well and have been declared medically fit to take on the Coastal Challenge.
Departing from Oranjemund in Namibia on 1 July 2008, followed the same run format as they did in China, breaking each day's target distance into 3 runs, morning, midday and late afternoon. In this way they aimed to cover some 45km per day, with one rest day a week.
Their arrival in Mozambique's Ponto D'Ouro 80 days later and just under 3500km covered
Ending in a success and raising some 2 million rand, the first round of operations have been completed in the Transkei where 32 children recieved surgery and a second mission was completed in Madagascar where 200 children received surgery.
