For hundreds of runners drawn across the world who will toe the line at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy on June 27, the distance is fixed: 42 kilometres, 21 kilometres or the 10 Km run in the wild. 

However, the number that truly matters this year is KSh15 million. This is the amount is the race organisers, Tusk and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, are targeting as they opened entries for the 2026 Lewa Safari Marathon this week. 

It is a sum that, if realised, will determine how many rhinos are guarded in Kenya's increasingly endangered forests, how many Grevy’s zebras in the wild are tracked and how many clinic visits are funded for the rural communities living alongside some of the country's most vulnerable wildlife ecosystems.

Since the Lewa Safari Marathon debut in 2000, the annual event has raised Kes1.3 billion, a siginificant amount that has gone a long way in playing huge role in Kenya's conservation efforts. 

Statistics show that through this funding, the population of once endangered Hawksbill turtles has doubled, young Grevy’s zebras have more than doubled and black rhino populations in one reserve have increased by a quarter.

Additionally, Mountain bongos, an antelope species found nowhere else in the world but the forests around Mt Kenya and the Aberdares, are now safer within their remaining habitats.

The same funds that have supported those endangered species have also underwritten more than 40,000 clinic visits, dozens of school programmes, and rural enterprises ranging from pastoralist cooperatives to women-led businesses. Each of those outcomes is now up for renewal on race day.

Set within the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the event offers a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and children’s race. Participants in this year's edition will enjoy a route that cuts across savannah plains, riverbanks and acacia woodland, with runners sharing the course with elephants, lions and rhinos.

It is one of the highest wildlife densities in Kenya, which makes the event something other than a typical road race. 

More than 25,000 participants from over 40 countries have taken the challenge over the years, including Kenyan former marathon World Record Holders Eliud Kipchoge, Paul Tergat, and Catherine Ndereba. Runner’s World ranks it among the world’s top ten amateur races.

Long-time sponsors Safaricom and Huawei have once again lent their support. Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa has confirmed the company’s Kes10 million contribution this year, framing it as part of a 26-year commitment. 

Huawei Kenya CEO Gao Fei noted the company’s decade-plus backing, pointing to the preservation of iconic species as the motivation.

Other partners include National Bank of Kenya, ICEA Lion, Tropical Heat, Safarilink, AMREF, Elewana, and Land and Life. Their collective financial support underwrites the event itself, allowing race proceeds to flow directly into conservation initiatives, community programmes, and ranger operations.

Every entry fee, every sponsorship pledge, every fundraising appeal becomes a line item in a budget that will determine whether conservation projects continue or stall.

Mike Watson, CEO of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, stated: “Every step taken at the Lewa Safari Marathon powers real, measurable conservation impact.” 

This year's target of Kes15 million is intended to secure critical habitats, protect endangered species and sustain livelihoods for the communities that have become conservation’s first line of defence.

Chantal Migongo-Bake of Tusk described the event as “more than just a race, it’s a running challenge with purpose, a movement that unites runners from around the world in support of Kenya’s extraordinary wildlife and communities.”

International entries are already open, with Kenyan and East African entries set to open on March 27. The race itself will be held on June 27 at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

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