What is the Lewa Safari Marathon?

The Lewa Safari Marathon is an annual running event that takes place within the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya, where runners share the path with endangered wildlife like Grevy zebras and rhinos.

What measures are in place to protect the animals during the Lewa Safari Marathon?

A helicopter is used to delicately herd animals away from the race track, and rangers are strategically stationed along the route to ensure the safety of both runners and wildlife. Additionally, Lewa tracks every large animal using a wildlife-monitoring platform called EarthRanger.

Home / Sports / Runners Traverse Lewa's Untamed Wilderness in Thrilling Safari Marathon

Runners Traverse Lewa's Untamed Wilderness in Thrilling Safari Marathon

Q: How has the Lewa Safari Marathon impacted local communities?

The Lewa Safari Marathon has raised over $10 million since its inception, with funds going towards community development, healthcare, and education initiatives across Africa. This includes supporting the Lewa Education Programme, which helps 27 surrounding schools.

15 Oct

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Summary

Runners share the path with endangered Grevy zebras, giraffes, and rhinos
Marathon raises funds for community development, healthcare, and education initiatives
No poaching attempts in Lewa since 2019, thanks to 150 vigilant rangers

Runners Traverse Lewa's Untamed Wilderness in Thrilling Safari Marathon

On October 15, 2025, runners participated in the 25th anniversary of the Lewa Safari Marathon, a unique event that takes place within the 62,000-acre Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya. The race, organized by the Tusk Trust charity in partnership with Lewa and Safaricom, challenges participants to run alongside endangered species like Grevy zebras, reticulated giraffes, and white rhinos.

The marathon, which started at 8 AM, saw over 1,400 runners from around the world navigate the sandy roads of Lewa, with a helicopter overhead herding animals away from the track to ensure the safety of both runners and wildlife. The event, which originated around a bush fire in the 1980s, has raised more than $10 million since its inception, with funds going towards community development, healthcare, and education initiatives across Africa.