Miles for Smiles in Oranjemund Today!

[Michael Alexander]

These guys will  be leaving from Oranjemund in the next hours, they are starting their epic journey of running from Oranjemund following the southern African coastline all the way to the South African Mozambique border...

All to raise funds for their cause, which can be seen here http://www.milesforsmiles.co.za/ . I will be posting the departure photo's later on this morning.

Good Luck!

[Michael Alexander]

here are a few snaps....

[Michael Alexander]

......

[Michael Alexander]

..... and

[georg ruf jr.]

Is this in front of the store in OM Mike?

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Braam Malherbe and David Grier - same guys who ran the Great Wall of China

[Michael Alexander]

@ Jnr, this ia between the magistrates and the museum , you can see the two tall palm trees in the background in pic 3, that is the entrance to Woolworths now, nut used to be the shopping Centre.... Spar is to the right of the Bank Whindhoek..(blue) sign...

@ CHerry, that is correct...these two guys ran the entire length of the great wall of China.... magic guys to talk to also...... Braam wants to come back to Oranjemund after this is all over to come and camp with his girlfriend....

:emot98:   

[georg ruf jr.]

So this means the former store has several entrances now?

[Michael Alexander]

Just 3, woolworths on the original side. and Bank Windhoek and Spar on 7th Avenue....

[Tamara Hogan]

They are saints!
What a great cause, and to run all that way. i know you would not do it if you did not like running. But that is a long way. SO they are certainaly working for their money.
Is there a schedule as to where they will be an a certain day. for example when do they excect to be in Capetown?

[Michael Alexander]

Check out their website for that, I know they run 6 days and camp 1 day, wherever they land, and it ain't all tar road, some of the way is dirt track along the west coast here..... You can also follow their progress on their site, exactly how far they have run....

[Michael Alexander]

Hey , our bridge made the Argus this weekend...... well thanks to the two runners....
(This is them arriving on the ZA side of the bridge)

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

The runners are between East London and Durban

Total distance so far : about 2.500 km

here the map

http://www.milesforsmiles.co.za/index.php/Track-the-Runners.html

[Michael Alexander]

 Three-month coast run for good cause

By Yusuf Moolla

Extreme runners David Grier and Braam Malherbe have run across the desert beaches of the Namibian and South African coastline, covering more than 2 400km of a 3 500km journey to aid the Operation Smile SA charity.

The Cape Town pair started the "Run a Smile around Southern Africa" initiative in Oranjemund, Namibia, on July 1 and arrived in Durban. Their trip will end at Ponto D'Ouro, Mozambique, in about three weeks.

This is the pair's second ultra-distance run - in 2006, they ran 4&nbp;200km on the Great Wall of China.

Operation Smile SA facilitates free medical treatment and surgery for children in southern Africa born with cleft lips and palates.

Grier and Malherbe have run the equivalent of a standard marathon daily since the start of the trip, resting one day a week.

They are backed by a five-man crew who take care of food, accommodation and other logistics.

Grier, a chef and author, said the trip was hard and long, and that willpower was vital to completing the challenge.

"Every morning we are exhausted, but our minds are the key to keeping us strong and completing the challenge," he said, adding that he had a good understanding of his body.

Malherbe, an environmentalist, said he hoped to inspire people to "dream big" by completing the run.

He has lost almost all his toenails while running and misses his family, but is determined to finish.

Malherbe said experts had told them that the run was impossible and would have long-term negative health effects, but that they believed the limitations were only mental.

Grier said the Transkei leg of the trip was the most arduous, as they had to cross 13 rivers and battle torrential rain.

The runners were greeted by Umkomaas Primary School pupils as they ran through Amanzimtoti.

The children raised R1&nbp;700 for the charity by donating their pocket money.

The Berea and South Coast Round Table branches and Durban Girls' College together raised R250 000, which was presented to the runners last week.

The runners were in Salt Rock on Sunday and head for the Tugela River mouth on Monday.

[SandyB]

Great !!    good guys ...