Big Five Marathon
Bosveld, South Africa
- Marathon, Half Marathon
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The wildest of them all! The Big Five Marathon in South Africa is held among the wildlife of the African savannah. The Big Five Marathon takes you on an adventure through the South-Africa’s Savannah of Entabeni. In one of the most spectacular game reserves in Africa the challenging route crosses … MORE
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Unique and unforgettable!
This was my 30th marathon, and it was the hardest but easily the most memorable. First of all, you are in the South African savannah! It is a beautiful, magical … MORE
This was my 30th marathon, and it was the hardest but easily the most memorable.
First of all, you are in the South African savannah! It is a beautiful, magical place. We stayed at Hanglip Lodge, which only has 10 rooms so we got to know all the other runners well, and the staff/rangers were superb. It’s also located on the lower plateau of Entabeni, so super convenient for the daily game drives. The day before the race there is a mandatory course inspection (by jeep), so you can see what you are in for. The course is mainly on direct trails, but with ~6 miles through sand and numerous rocky sections throughout. Trail shoes are recommended. You will be in full sun throughout, and the altitude is ~5,000ft.
Pre race communications were clear. Packet pickup is day before the race, combined with a mandatory course inspection (by jeep), so you can see what you are in for. T-shirt and medal were first-rate.
COURSE DETAILS: Make no mistake, this course will test you from beginning to end, but it will reward you with beauty in equal measure! It’s cold at the start (winter in South Africa) but quickly warms up and was in the 70s most of the race. There is very little shade anywhere though and the sun is blazing, so sunscreen is a must. You start with a significant climb then continue with a more gradual incline to the turnaround at Hanglip viewpoint. Around mile 7 you head down Yellowwood Valley for ~1.5 miles – this is the only paved part and it is super steep. Very hard to run here and maintain control, so baby steps and zig zagging are the way to go. At the bottom is a loop of ~6-7 miles on the lower plateau through ankle deep sand – this is tough on the legs. At the end of that you arrive back at Yellowwood Valley and – you guessed it – you go back up that long super steep hill. This was the hardest 1.5 miles of my life, could only take a few steps at a time before needing to rest and catch my breath. Some people were crawling. It’s no joke, but it does end and things level out for the next several miles, before you encounter some more hills and rocky trails in the last 2-3.
I saw wildebeest and rhino while running (and elephants en route to the start), but the rangers make sure the lions are nowhere near! The aid stations were so much fun – water, coke, and bundles of enthusiasm. Many times you are on your own (only ~200 runners) – stop a moment, take pictures, and soak in the majesty of the location – it is wonderful.
Post-race party brought all 4 lodges together for a great evening. It was a traditional South African braii – food, drinks, music, so much fun! Throughout the week there were game drives where we saw all kinds of animals close up – lions, cheetahs, elephants and so many more.
I can’t recommend this race (and the whole experience) enough. Yes it was hard, but it’s an experience like none other, in a place you will not forget. The Albatross staff (Ricky!!) and the lodge staff and rangers were outstanding.
Extreme course - DNF for me
Lots of caveats for this review! Starting with the most important - I did not finish. I got pulled at mile 17. This was my first DNF (in 350+ races). … MORE
Lots of caveats for this review! Starting with the most important – I did not finish. I got pulled at mile 17. This was my first DNF (in 350+ races). It was a tough course.
I originally signed up for the Amazing Maasai Marathon (in Kenya) for 2020. The race was cancelled for 2020, 2021, and 2022. Marathon Tours (who I booked through) recommended switching to another race and I picked the Big Five. Marathon Tours handled the booking, but Albatros Adventure Marathons was the onsite partner.
I stayed at Legend Golf & Safari Resort. This location was off the Entabeni Reserve, so we could walk (unescorted) around the property. The resort was clearly just coming back from the challenges faced by many in the travel industry during the pandemic. What this meant for this trip (and what will hopefully be improved in the future): staff was brought on to help with this week only, so many were new and learning the ropes. We could not enter our rooms by the front door, but had to go in through the backdoor (though locks were changed for some while we were there). Heat in the rooms didn’t work well. The “system” of tracking expenses (drinks, extra excursions, etc) wasn’t great, so our bills were all messed up. All this said – they staff were REALLY nice. And our ranger for the week (Noddy) was amazing. He had such love for his job, his country, and nature. He was a joy to be around and we all learned so much.
There was a game drive and bush walk almost every day. You could (and I did) add an additional game drive most days. All meals were included. With the exception of a few juices at breakfast, only tea and coffee were free. Everything else (alcohol, soda, water) was extra. That said, it was all really cheap.
You could use cash or charge at the resort but the expo you needed to pay cash for any merchandise you wanted to buy.
The shirt was white technical and nice. The medal was really cool (Africa & a rhino on it).
The course was brutal. The race website suggests assuming a finishing time 25% slower than your flat marathon time. What makes it tough – altitude (5,600 feet at highest), the course surface (dirt roads, sand, rocks), and the hills! Here is the description from the site:
“The first section is run on dirt road made up of red sand. Runners will pass a few hills (nothing too bad… the worst is yet to come!). And when you reach Hanglip View Point, you backtrack and run back before you reach Yellow Wood Valley. Pay attention to this section as the surface is very uneven with loose rocks, pebbles and holes.
The Yellow Wood Valley is the most dreaded part of the course. You are about to run down the steepest slope of your life! This sharp descent is on a paved surface. The next three kilometers or so will be excruciatingly hard on your quads as you negotiate the steep slope. You reach lion country after the descent. And although the next nine kilometers are flat, you’re running through deep sand. Full marathoners do a 9km loop whereas half marathon runners run a 2km loop.
This brings us back to Yellow Wood. And yes, you guessed correctly. We’re going up the dreaded hill this time. Be prepared to take things slowly as it’s virtually impossible to run up this hill.
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.”
I got pulled at mile 17 – going up the “dreaded hill.” It was disappointing, but the right call. Despite the DNF, I enjoyed the trip. I will go back to Africa (but not this race!) so that I can complete a marathon on this continent. It was an amazing experience. For the adventure traveler – this is great. I was marathon trained and ready, I just wasn’t ready for this course.
Extreme course, amazing location!
The terrain and road grade make this an extremely challenging course physically. But running among wildebeests and other animals makes this a most unique experience. Best of all, the race … MORE
The terrain and road grade make this an extremely challenging course physically. But running among wildebeests and other animals makes this a most unique experience. Best of all, the race occurs within a week long safari experience through Albatross Adventures. We espcially enjoyed Hanglip Mountain Lodge and strongly recommend this accomodation to anyone considering the trip.