Not all races start with hundreds of people in gorilla suits chasing after bananas. But maybe all of them should.
More than 600 participated in the fifth annual Austin Gorilla Run in Texas on Saturday. The price of admission included a sweet free gorilla suit that would have made the Planet of the Apes cast envious.
The 5K run isn’t just for fun, though. The Austin race raised $35,000 for the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund (MGCF), which helps protect and save endangered Mountain Gorillas in Africa. The Gorilla Run began in Denver more than 10 years ago, and the circuit has grown to include Austin and Cincinnati.
“The Gorilla Run in general is a perfect fit for keeping Austin weird,” said Debbie Wright, development director at MGCF. "You’re dressing up as a gorilla to save a gorilla.”
“Most of us are very serious quote-unquote amateur athletes, doing marathons, Ironman, Ultraman, stuff like that,” said Tammy Metzer, a participant sporting a pink gorilla suit. “So it’s nice to just not care and just go out and have fun and not worry about the results.”
Metzer's team was a group of dancing gorillas named “It’s Not Twerking,” which took third place for most creative group. A team dressed in Roman robes and a chariot earned first place for its “Ben Fur” theme.