Toyota-supported athletes Braam Malherbe and David Grier notched up another important milestone when they reached the southern tip of Africa during the gruelling 3 500km Cipla Spar Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge 2008.

“It was a good psychological boost and there was a wonderful sense of occasion and achievement as we reached Cape Agulhas,” David said. “It seems like just the other day that we were running across the bridge linking Namibia and South Africa at Oranjemund, although that was six weeks ago.”

But their hectic programme allowed only a few minutes for photographs and interviews before they were off again, their routine consisting of running around 40km a day, six days a week.

And the past week has been crammed with highlights, chief of which was receiving news that nature conservation officials, acting on their tip-off, had seized more 1 100 illegally harvested abalone.

A couple of days earlier the two runners had witnessed and photographed suspicious behaviour and reported their observations to the authorities, who launched a stakeout and search resulting in the perlemoen haul.

“We have seen such beauty along the coast, but our enthusiasm has been tinged with sadness at the short-sighted greed of humans guilty of unsustainable practices,” Braam said. “It was heartening to see that conservation officials are not giving up the fight despite being under-resourced for a difficult and dangerous job.”

One conservation official from the Agulhas National Park, who is also involved with the National Sea Rescue Institute, reported that when a team had gone to the assistance of the crew of a sinking boat recently, they were opened fire on by poachers who are not only armed, but aggressive and confrontational.

“We have been assisted by so many local officials during our run, who have often gone way beyond the call of duty to facilitate our safe passage through restricted or inaccessible areas,” Braam said. “There’s also the bonus of enjoying so many places off the beaten track or closed to the public.

Over the weekend they were allowed to run through Overberg Testing Range a few hours ahead of missile testing, before being escorted into the adjoining De Hoop Nature Reserve near Bredasdorp.

What followed was their toughest day to date, running a three-day section of the picturesque Whale Trail in a morning and then finishing the punishing 42-km section with a 3km paddle across the mouth of the Breede River to Witsand.

“The Whale Trail was a very special experience that we wouldn’t have missed for anything, and can heartily recommend it, although I must say it was an exhausting 10-hour day for us,” David said.

They are now around 1 300km into their 3 500km fund-raising journey, but admit that they take it one day at a time, trying to focus on short-term objectives rather than their eventual destination of Ponta do Ouro in Mozambique.

The goal of the Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge, which is supported by Toyota South Africa, is to help change young lives forever by raising R3.5-million for the Operation Smile South Africa charity which funds reconstructive surgery for children with facial disfigurements.

Their daily progress can be charted on the Operation Smile SA website where online donations can also be made. Visit www.milesforsmiles.co.za and www.toyota.co.za.