TARGET 110330

The Great Gorilla Run

And they're off!!

Let the race begin!

Hundreds of people running through the streets of London, dressed in gorilla suits, may sound like monkeying around, but it’s actually pretty serious.

While the annual Great Gorilla Run is a pretty fun event, the reason behind the event is very serious. The number of Mountain gorillas around the world is declining rapidly, and if something radical isn’t done soon, our children will probably know them as an extinct species. Through the Great Gorilla Run, the Great Gorilla Organization is trying to raise money for saving the endangered primates.

Running clubs participate, too

The seventh edition of the Great Gorilla Run saw 700 fake gorillas (about as many Mountain Gorillas are in the wild today) run a 7 kilometer course run through London. The wacky race starts in central London, in front of the Minister Court, went on along the Thames to St. Paul’s Cathedral, past Tower Bridge, and all the way to the Tate Modern Art Gallery.

Passing London Bridge

Passing Tower Bridge

Participants were dressed in various gorilla outfits, from Scottish gorillas, to businessmen gorillas, platinum blond gorillas, gorillas in tu-tus, and gorillas carrying their treasured bananas.









Che

...and one even came as Che Guevera

The event was staged by The Gorilla Organisation, a charity which protects the endangered apes in central African rainforests. Bill Oddie, the conservationist and television presenter, fired the starting pistol for the Great Gorilla Run. About 750 runners took part, setting a world record for the largest-ever gathering of people wearing gorilla costumes.

FEEDBACK MAP

Feedback map

If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, please take a look at the following web sites for more:

Bio on Bill Oddie and his organization.
Video (Vimeo.com)
Video (YouTube)
How to register and join the run.
Follow it on Twitter