New route for 2016 Great Gorilla Run

The 2016 Great Gorilla Run will take place in the City of London on Saturday 17 September, and this year the gorilla-clad runners will be asked to tackle 8km of urban terrain in the name of gorilla conservation.

Named one of London’s best alternative running events by Time Out magazine and the Independent newspaper, and enjoying the enthusiastic support of Foreign Secretary and former London mayor Boris Johnson, the Great Gorilla Run is now in its 13th year. Since it began, the iconic event has raised more than £2.6 million for the Gorilla Organization’s award-winning conservation projects in Central Africa.

The 2016 run will begin and end in Mincing Lane, in the heart of the City. Hundreds of runners – all in full gorilla costume – will run, jump, crawl or walk over Tower Bridge and then past famous London landmarks, including City Hall and HMS Belfast. Unlike in previous years, where gorillas criss-crossed the Thames over different bridges, this time they will complete a full loop, going from the north bank to the south over Tower Bridge and then back over the water via Blackfriars Bridge, the half-way point of the epic race.

Once again, celebrity conservationist Bill Oddie will start the race and welcome runners back across the finish line. Oddie has called the Great Gorilla Run “the most fun event for conservation happening anywhere in the world”.

Jillian Miller, Executive Director of the Gorilla Organization, adds: “There are now fewer than 900 mountain gorillas left in the world and the threats they face are as strong as ever. By coming together for the Great Gorilla Run, we can help raise vital funds for a range of conservation projects, while also raising awareness of the plight of our cousins in the forest in the most fun way imaginable.”

Both Bill Oddie and Jillian Miller will be available for interviews on the day and runners are still able to sign up for the 2016 event, either individually or in teams.

For more information about the Great Gorilla Run 2016 and to sign up for this iconic event, visit www.greatgorillarun.org, or if you are interested in sponsoring the event or entering a corporate team, get in touch via events@gorillas.org.