Big Five Marathon

“There are marathons, and then there’s the Big Five Marathon. No cheering crowds. No tarmac. No city skyline. Just hills, wide open savannah, and of course, the famous big five.”

After preparing with trail running for 5 months, the runner took part in a race in a safari reserve. The sandy sections, uphills and stretches without shade were extremely difficult, and the runner persevered by pouring water over their head. The runner recorded an experience completely different from a typical city marathon, including a 35-minute delay to the start because of rhinos and elephants.

“Course is 95% unpaved, with continuous uphill and downhill sections.”

Anne Gombert describes running in temperatures above 30°C and on the savannah's unpaved uphills and downhills course, as well as experiencing a race stoppage for water supplies and wildlife control.

Quoted from the original · translated

“Thick, soft, deep and heavy sand awaits runners at the bottom.”

This is a report from a runner who took part in the 2018 edition. The runner wrote that at start line, they were told, “Anything that runs in Africa is prey.” Starting at the 14 km mark, the descent continues for 3.2 km, with the steepest section reaching a 42% gradient. After this section, you reach the lower escarpment where the lions live. From there, deep sand slows you down, so gaiters were recommended, and water, electrolytes, and sponges were available at 5 km intervals. The report also notes that runners had to receive a wristband at the lower checkpoint to avoid disqualification.

“One of the toughest marathons in the world and we completed it as our second continent.”

Kevin Alvey took part while recovering from an injury and ran on climbs, unpaved and sandy terrain, and steep sections course. The start was delayed because of wildlife, and rangers guarded the aid stations. He finished in 6 hours 24 minutes 38 seconds.

“There is no place to hide when you are surrounded by only 250 runners attempting to race in the most exclusive marathon in the world.”

On his first attempt, Jason experienced climbs, rocky sections, deep sand and heat in succession. Together with his friends, he endured cramps in the latter part of the race and finished in 6 hours 51 minutes 15 seconds.

“This route is simply fantastic, and I found myself half dreading each kilometre board passing.”

This is a race report from a runner who finished 3rd in 4 hours 1 minute. The report says that the first 9 km climbs 350 m to reach a high point at an altitude of 1,714 m, followed by a descent that drops 400 m over the next 2.5 km and destroys the thighs. The lower 8 km section is lion territory, so rangers tracked the location of the pride for 36 hours, and runners were warned to watch out for rhino and elephant dung. Cola, water, electrolytes, and bananas were available at aid station, but the runner noted that the temperature rose over the final 10 km and that one or two additional aid stations would have been helpful.