Grizzly runners prepare to get bogged down in race

Recent heavy rain is expected to make a gruelling race course "claggier and gloopier than ever", organisers say.

The Grizzly's 38th edition is being staged by Axe Valley Runners along the south Devon coast with about 1,500 people set to tackle hills, pebbles and bogs along a 20-mile (32.2km) route starting and finishing in Seaton.

A further 500 runners are expected to do the 9-mile (14.5km) Cub race on Sunday while junior races over 4km (2.5 miles) and 2km (1.25 miles) were staged on Saturday.

Following stormy weather which soaked parts of south-west England, the race's media liaison Patrick Kinsella said it would be "slippery" but he expected people would still enjoy it.

"As everyone knows, we've had a very wet start to 2026 as it's rained almost every day in east Devon, so the bogs are going to be boggy to say the least," Kinsella said.

"They're going to be deeper than ever, claggier and gloopier than ever.

"But that, for some bizarre reason, is one of the things people seem to love about the race and certainly what they talk about afterwards as they're getting hosed down by the local fire crew."

This year's race has the theme "One Step Beyond", inspired by the Madness song and album, to reference the mindset of runners who take part in the event.

Organisers said they would acknowledge and support International Women's Day which coincided with the race. Fatima Painda, an ultra marathon runner and Free to Run ambassador who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan, is due to take part.

Dozens of community groups who volunteer on the course would receive a financial contribution while money would also be raised for the Farming Community Network Charity, the event's chosen charity, organisers added.

Kinsella said the idea of running along the course was hard for some people to understand, but those who did it liked the "real challenge" of the race.

He said there was a big sense of community at the event, which had a wide reputation with runners from France, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands entering.

"It is a very hard race, so it is very much a challenge and people get this sense of elation and achievement at the end of it," Kinsella said.

"But there's also a great sense of fun in and around it with live bands playing music on the course, we've got two bagpipers up in the hills and tons of people come out to support it."

Kinsella, who is taking part in his 13th Grizzly, said the course had a lot of interesting parts including the Stairway to Heaven up to Beer Head and Branscombe beach's memory tree.

But he said the bogs were always the most interesting bit of the course.

"We've got a stash of spare shoes of different sizes because people literally lose shoes in there and they're hobbling around, so that's always good fun," Kinsella added.

"I love going through The Fountain Head pub garden because you get a huge cheer and there's always live music in there with people drinking beer.

"It is always tempting just to stop there, but it gives you a real lift with a few miles left to go."

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