The Good, the Bad and the Grizzly

The 36th version of the Grizzly, the South West’s premier mixed-terrain running race, will take place on Sunday March 17, St Patrick’s Day, with stout-hearted runners once again tackling the trails, tracks, fields, lanes, roads, pebble beaches and thigh-deep bogs of East Devon.

Brave runners from Torbay and South Devon will join competitors from all over the world in tackling the Grizzly, which was once voted the third best running race in the country by Runner’s World (with the London Marathon in top spot).

Since it began in 1988, the Grizzly has raised more than £500,000 for good causes. This year, once again, the race will financially contribute to dozens of community groups, who volunteer on food and water stations along the route, as well as making a sizeable donation to the SWCPA, an charity organization that maintains the South West Coast Path, which features large in the race route, and provides a challenging training ground for many local runners as they prepare for the event each year.

The Grizzly has a well-earned reputation as a serious challenge, but it also puts a smile on the face of competitors and spectators alike, with thousands of people lining the streets to cheer runners on through Seaton, Beer and Branscombe. Drummers, singers, bagpipers and bands provide much-needed encouragement along the route, which even goes through the beer garden of the Fountain Head pub in Branscombe, where there’s a carnival atmosphere on the day.

One of the most poignant parts of the race route is the Memory Tree, which is annually set up on Branscombe Beach. Here, in a serene setting, runners can pause for a moment and tie a ribbon on the driftwood tree to remember someone close to them who has passed.

On Saturday, March 16, the Grizfest will take place in Seaton, with 11–15 year-olds taking on the 4km Junior Grizzly, over 8s tacking a 2km course and people of all ages doing a fun run. Then, on Sunday, runners doing The Cub (a 9-mile race) and the full Grizzly will get going from Seaton seafront at 10.30am.