Lewa Safari Marathon

The annual Safaricom Marathon and Half Marathon will take place at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya. Organised by Tusk Trust and Lewa and supported by Safaricom, this fundraising event will host 1,200 runners from over 20 different countries. The Safaricom Marathon is regarded as one of the toughest marathons in the world. However, runners of all abilities take part- from walkers and amateurs, to professionals like Paul Tergat, the Kenyan former world record holder.

The Safaricom Marathon attracts participants from all over the globe who come to compete for a good cause. A unique event that not only tests your limits but also gives you an opportunity to enjoy a real African Safari! What began as a simple idea back in 2000 has now grown into a world-renowned event. This unique marathon is exceptional in many ways — it combines an unusual fundraising initiative with one of Kenya’s greatest sporting passions – running!

The Safaricom Marathon allows participants from all over the globe to compete in an internationally acclaimed event whilst running through some of Africa’s most breath-taking scenery.  As a result, it has developed into one of the country’s major sporting events with a reputation for being one of the ten “must do” marathons in the world.

Through the partnership of Safaricom Ltd, Tusk Trust and the LewaWildlife Conservancy, the event has grown from 180 runners in 2000 raising $50,000 to 1000 runners in 2012 raising $574,000.

Since the inaugural marathon in 2000, US$3.8m has been raised for a wide range of projects. Through grants funded by the marathon, literally thousands of Kenyans have benefitted through schools, hospitals, as well as community and conservation projects.

Over the years, this unique event has captured the imagination of the running fraternity and secured the longstanding support of some of Kenya’s world class athletes, including Paul Tergat andCatherine Ndereba. Evocative images of competitors ‘running wild’ within a game reserve have appeared on television and in magazines around the world.