INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Run, walk, or knuckle-walk the “Chimpathon” 16 km (9.94 mile) race to save the chimps in the second annual Chimpathon on April 17.
The Chimpathon offers a unique opportunity to visit the Save the Chimps Sanctuary, the largest chimpanzee sanctuary in the world. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. and is open to runners and walkers, aged 16 and above on a course certified by the USA Track and Field Association.
The 10-mile (16 km) course begins and ends at the St. Lucie County Fairgrounds. A right-turn onto Carole Noon Lane leads you into the 12-island, 150 acre sanctuary for a rare opportunity to view the home of more than 250 chimpanzees rescued from the space program, laboratory research, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade. The course is separated from the chimps’ “islands in the sun” by large moats, and chimps cannot swim across.
As runners wind their way around the chimps’ islands, they will be greeted with excited chimp pant-hoots. They may even spot Doc, this year’s Chimpathon mascot, knuckle-running alongside them on his island.
After crossing the finish line, participants can reunite with friends and family to enjoy the finish line festival which features concessions, sponsor exhibits promoting a healthy earth-friendly lifestyle, and music. Attendees do not have to be a racer to enjoy Chimpathon. Admission to the festival is free.
New this year is the “Chimps Challenge,” an inflatable dual–lane challenge course for all ages from toddler to grandparents. There will also be a rock climbing wall for the more adventurous. Both attractions will be open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. A $10 wrist band allows unlimited times through the course.
Established in 1997 by the late Dr. Carole Noon, Save the Chimps is a nonprofit organization that offers safe refuge to chimpanzees that formerly lived in horrific conditions of anguish and isolation. Save the Chimps provides room for chimpanzees to socialize, build bonds, play and heal from years of physical and emotional abuse. Noon has been quoted as saying, “All they need is a chance.”
That chance comes with a price. The annual cost of care for one chimpanzee is $16,000. This includes three fresh and nutritious meals of fruit and vegetables daily, loving care from the staff, medical treatment from veterinarians, maintenance of their beautiful island homes, and enrichment activities to fulfill their lives. Life for Doc and his friends is as close to their free-living relatives as is possible in captivity.
One-hundred percent of the proceeds from Chimpathon will benefit the chimpanzees at Save the Chimps; providing a quality of life that most chimpanzees have never experienced. Last year’s race netted more than $32,000 for the chimps. New this year, racers have the option to set up their own fundraising page when they register for Chimpathon. This is a great way to get friends and family involved.
Chimpathon participants will receive complimentary goody bags filled with products for runners, sky-blue t-shirts made of moisture wicking technical fabric, and a unique collectible finisher’s medal. Water stations are located every mile along the course, and runners will be treated to a breakfast buffet following the event.
To learn more about Chimpathon and to register, visit www.chimpathon.org or call (772) 429-0403.