The Big Five Marathon: An African Adventure

The perfect adventure marathon

The Big Five Marathon is a real adventure. In one of the most spectacular game reserves in Africa this challenging route crosses right through the habitat of the African game, including the famous Big Five: Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion and Leopard. There are no fences, no rivers, nothing at all separating the runners from the African wildlife! It's a package only trip but could it well be one that's worth the investment.

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The Destination

The Big Five Marathon is held in South Africa, among the wildlife of the African savannah.

in Entabeni. It is deep in the heart of the malaria-free World Heritage Waterberg biosphere in the Limpopo, only three hours' north of Johannesburg. The Waterberg biosphere is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It covers an area of 4170 square kilometres and includes a number of protected areas that include the Lapalala Wilderness. Entabeni Game Reserve is privately owned and is roughly 250 square kilometres of bountiful bushveld typified by wide open grassland accompanied by sandy wetlands, surprisingly defined and beautiful crags, and ravines through which pretty streams run. It boasts five different ecosystems within one reserve and promises solid big game viewing and superb bird watching.

This malaria free area, set within the most beautiful mountain scenery offered by the ever present Waterberg, is now a major attraction to visitors and locals alike, particularly locals from the Johannesburg area for whom getting away to the Waterberg to see game, without the need for anti-malaria medication, is a real bonus. This area used to be home to a rich variety of wild animals like giraffe, lion, hyena, buffalo and elephant that due to both farmers and hunters were fast depleted. Now, due a concerted effort to reverse the loss of animals for whom this is their natural home, large areas in the Waterberg biosphere have been restocked.

Race Organiser

Albatros Adventure Marathons, an adventure marathon specialist from Denmark. They organise many other similar events, like the Polar Circle Marathon and the Great Wall Marathon.

When?

The race is held annually in mid June.

Distances

Full and half marathon

Is there an Expo?

No, but there is a race briefing the evening before the race that will give runners all they need to know, including a discussion on likely weather conditions.

How many runners?

As it's a tour package event the field is relatively small - 250 to 300. It sells out quickly.

Course

Every step of the marathon is inside the Entabeni Game Reserve. Throughout the course runners are able to experience spectacular 360 degree views of African Savannah. The Big 5 game are amongst some of the many wild animals that could be seen on route. The start and finish line are situated at Lakeside Lodge on the upper escarpment. After the start, the marathon and half marathon routes take the runners past Ravineside Lodge, the Entabeni Monolith and further on to the lower plateau. This first section is run on dirt roads made up of red sand. The first 11km has a lot of climbing, followed by 5km of quick descent. After 8km of flat running there is a steep climb from kilometres 25-30 km.

The Yellow Wood Valley is the toughest part of the course. First up is a very steep decline and later runners come back up it! This sharp descent is on a paved surface for around 3 km, which is tough on the quads. Although the next nine kilometres are flat, the terrain changes to deep sand and it's lion country! Full marathoners do a 9 km loop, whereas half marathon runners run a 2km loop. And then it's back to Yellow Wood and time to head up the hill! It's really tough and walking is the best option here. The route carries on to Long Drive, a narrow valley, where marathon runners do a 6km loop. Half marathoners run across the valley and reach the final section of the route. This section is run on dirt trails, a welcome respite from the deep sand and loose stone terrain earlier on.

The end of the run is fairly hard (final four kilometres). The surface is challenging, consisting of hard uneven stony ground with plenty of large rocks and stones of all sizes. This final part has quite a few hills and as the surface is loose, it pays to keep a careful watch on the ground as we run towards the finish. With the finish line at Lakeside Lodge in sight it's finally time to take it nice and easy.

The total elevation is 1145m. There are no fences, no rivers, nothing at all separates the runners from the African wildlife!

The weather is very dry, sunny and cool at this time of the year. Participants can expect an average temperature of around 15-20 Celsius, but with variations due to sun, shade, wind and altitude.

What's unique?

Being up close and personal with some incredible wildlife and much more!

Do charities benefit?

There is no official charity programme for this event but of course runners can still raise funds for their favourite charity by setting up a fundraising page and seeking donations from their friends and family.

How to register

There are few ways to register for The Big Five Marathon, depending on your place of residency. To sign up you must besides the race entry purchase one of two holiday packages: the 6-day itinerary or the 8-day itinerary. The same packages are available for spectators. It’s not possible to sign up for the race only unless you are a permanent resident of South Africa. If you are a permanent resident of South Africa, contact the organisers for information about registration by writing to marathon@albatros-adventure.com.

Race website

https://big-five-marathon.com/