The ninth annual Great Brak Grabadoo took place on 31 December 2011. 31 December is probably a deterrent for most to take part in an energetic run, walk or ride in the heart of the Garden Route. To most it is one of the last days for lounging around and doing nothing before returning to home, work or school.
To the over 1100 participants who braved the run, walk and ride on one of summer’s most glorious days, it was totally worth it. The near perfect conditions could not have been better greeted than with more than a thousand eager entrants ready to move. Armed with water bottles, sunscreen and a lot of summer loving energy, participants lined up for the race briefing and their respective start countdowns.
The sleepy town of Great Brak River woke up early to play the friendly host to the locals and holidaymakers who put on their tackies to tackle the mountain bike, the road bike or walk or run part of the event. Whilst countless entrants took part in order to clock up a good time, most participants took some time to take in the spectacular surroundings and breathe in the freshness in the air, spiced with just a hint of coconut oil.
Organisers were overrun by pre-race entries and they had to muster all the man-power they could to cope with the incredible pre-race interest. And whether it was out of guilt (from the Christmas table), anticipation (of a great 2012) or simply a last-minute medal before the clock strikes midnight, one thing was clear – the Great Brak Grabadoo was the place to be at 06h45 on the last morning of 2011.
Spot prizes thanks to lucky draw sponsors from the Revlon / Mitchum, Chas Everitt, Elephant Sanctuary, Birds of Eden and Monkeyland, Powerade, Garden Route Game Lodge, Karusa Fruit & Wines and Seven Seas catapulted the fun and excitement of this family event skyward. Thanks to the sponsor Chas Everitt and the hard work behind the scenes of the team from Interface @ Goji, the 10th running, walking and riding of the Great Brak Grabadoo promises to be a spectacle of note, so watch this space for more information. Look forward to interesting new routes, great and exciting sponsors, amazing goodie bags and a lot of energy.
Until the end of the year, this is the team from the Great Brak Grabadoo signing off. Have an incredible year.
