Safaricom Marathon

In my quest to run a marathon on every continent, I picked Safaricom for 2019. This was #4 and the hardest yet but WONDERFUL! The whole trip was organized exceptionally well with the travel agency and Tusk, the charity this race supports. I was a little unsure about the charity part since I never heard of Tusk. The day before the race, we went to see a school, water project and clinic all funded by Tusk with their staffers from the UK. It was amazing! After the marathon, we visited Uganda and their schools were not nearly as well run and funded as the Tusk programs. I say that in case of concern, but once there I was so proud to have fundraised for such a diverse and robust charity helping with so many projects in Africa. The race - I trained with hills and elevation but when there and combined with the heat - the 2nd lap was unfortunately half walk and run. To put in perspective, my best marathon was Amsterdam at 4:45. Safaricom took me 6 hours. The volunteers on the trail were amazing! They have people on motor bikes checking on you and the water stations too. I prefer solo running but some of the stations had people dressed up as clowns, music, and woman giving out roses if you want some fan fair but it does get quieter for round two. They also have water misters that were wonderful! The aid stations were always staffed until the end and perfectly placed when you needed them. I have a great picture with a zebra in the background as I ran mile 14 solo. Tip - There are a lot of local half marathoners that are walkers. If I were to run this again, start in the front behind the elite runners. I spent a lot of energy trying to pass these slow half marathoners to get the 1st part done before the heat kicked up. They request people walk on the left but no one was there at the briefing to pay attention. I was shifting left to right and the middle of the trail for those first few miles and sections there after were sand. I felt like I used extra energy that I could have saved for the 2nd 13 miles. As I had read, when you start that 2nd lap it's a totally difference race. Everyone is finally gone and to me this is where it began. The same trail is all your own - running thru Africa! And this is where you know the hills are coming, it's getting hotter, and you gotta be ready to keep pushing. It is worth it! I was able to run the last 3 miles since it was flatter and down hill too. Also, my husband spectated from the water station run by the lodge we stayed at. He even had a great time. He thought so highly of the race, and does not run, but said in a few years he would like to return and run the half. We loved our time in Lewa Downs and have memories for ever!

What an experience! This marathon is challenging - between the altitude, the hills, and the heat - so you're not aiming for a PR. But it's amidst beautiful scenery, it's pretty well organized, and it's for a good cause.

It's possibly the wildest adventures you'll ever do. The course takes you through Lewa safari park with wild animals roaming around. They have helicopters hovering over the course to look for animals getting close to the runners path and if they spot one, they lower the helicopter to chase them away! I booked all my travels through www.steeboksafaris.com. George Karuku is a wonderful man. He put together an itinerary for me including the marathon and a safari costing much less than the other options.