Date:  July – October 2008...
The Challenge: Run A Smile around Southern Africa...
The Result:  Mission Accomplished

When the Cipla Miles for Smiles Foundation issued its next extreme challenge - to run a smile around the foot of Africa, aka the Cipla SPAR Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge 2008 in Association with Round Table SA   – extreme athletes David Grier and Braam Malherbe stepped up to the line again.

Having successfully completed the Foundation’s first challenge in 2006 by 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 an estimated 3500 km non-stop from Oranjemund in Namibia via Cape Town in South Africa to Ponto d’Oro in Mozambique.
They also couldn’t resist the opportunity to again raise funds for Operation Smile SA.

Departing from Oranjemund in Namibia on 1 July 2008, David and Braam 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 covered the equivalent of a marathon a day, six days a week followed by rest day.  On 10 October 2008, the pair ran into the record books for the second time when they triumphed over fatigue pain, injury, huge storms, massive flooding and dangerous river crossings to complete  a 3278 km ‘smile’ around the entire coastline of South Africa. Since setting out from Oranjemund, David and Braam had run 80 full marathons.

Over and above the sweet feeling of success having achieved another ‘world first’, Braam and David’s huge effort would also have a life altering effect on the lives of over 350 children.  Thanks to the generosity of the South African public and corporate, R2 million was raised to make every step these two extreme and inspirational athletes took during the Cipla SPAR Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge count!