Big Five Marathon, live.

A marathon in the home of lion, elephant and rhino

The Big Five Marathon on 19 June 2027 runs through the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in South Africa, on open savanna where nothing separates the runners from the wildlife.

Albatros Adventure Marathons stages the Big Five Marathon in the Entabeni Safari Conservancy, a reserve in the habitat of the Big Five: elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard. No fences or rivers stand between the course and the animals. The 2027 race is on Saturday 19 June, and the organiser has already set 17 June for 2028.

There are two distances, the marathon over 42.195 km and the half marathon over 21.097 km. The surface is sand and gravel, the organiser gives an elevation gain of 885 m, and runners on both distances collect a wristband past the Yellowwood Valley that proves they ran the whole route. Personal supplies can be left at five drink stations on the marathon and four on the half marathon.

Cut-offs keep the race safe in the reserve. Marathon runners must reach 26.5 km within 4 hours 15 minutes and 32.5 km within 5 hours 30 minutes, with 7 hours to finish, and the half marathon allows 6 hours 45 minutes. Temperatures usually sit between 15 and 25°C, doctors are on site during the race, and trekking poles are not allowed.

The field is capped at 300, and international participants enter through a tour package with game drives and bush walks. Marathon runners must be 18 and half marathon runners 16. This is a race for people who want a hard day in the bush more than a fast time, and bags can be left at the start and collected after the finish.

On Livebib you can follow a participant who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, so the dot on the map is only as good as that phone and its signal. The official results and splits come from the organiser of the Big Five Marathon.