The 35th iteration of The Grizzly, the South West’s premier mixed-terrain running race, will take place on Sunday, March 5.
Over 2,000 runners will once again take to the trails, tracks, fields, lanes, roads, pebble beaches and thigh-deep bogs of East Devon as they negotiate a terrific 20-mile course from Seaton to the furthest reaches of Branscombe and back.
The year the official race name is ‘I Fought the Claw’, and artwork has already been appearing on the windows of local cafes and businesses in Seaton as they prepare to welcome runners and their supporters to town.
The major event in the calendar of Axe Valley Runners (AVR), the Grizzly – and a shorter, nine-mile race called ‘The Cub’ – attracts competitors from right across the region, country and world. Clubs from as far afield as Germany and the Netherlands regularly send groups of runners.
Once voted the third best running race in the country by Runner’s World (with the London Marathon in top spot), The Grizzly has as well-earned reputation as 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.
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.
This year the tree will have extra significance to a lot of AVR members and Grizzly regulars, who will mark the sad, recent loss of Phil Bayliss, who played a major role in getting the race (and the running club) started over three decades ago, and who was on the Grizzly organizing committee for many years. There will be a memorial to Phil at the tree, and the race will also mark the passing of Stewart ‘Rambo’ Bondi, a well-known character and Grizzly legend.
Since it began in 1988, the Grizzly has raised more than £425,000 for charities.
On Saturday, March 4, the Grizfest will take place in Seaton for juniors. Then, on Sunday, runners doing The Cub (a 9-mile race) and the full Grizzly will get going from Seaton seafront at 10.30am.
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