Travelers may have run 26.2 miles through city streets, but have they run through lion country? On a trip to Africa with luxury safari tour operator Stanley Safaris, runners can take part in three unique experiences, including running alongside a Maasai warrior at Chem Chem, taking on the Three Peaks Challenge at Ol Malo, or joining marathon legend and guide Solomon at Ol Lentille. With no treadmills or GPS-mapped routes, guests run on untamed terrain alongside guides who measure distance in continents.
OL LENTILLE, KENYA — Run with a Kenyan marathoner
Solomon, Head Guide at Ol Lentille, didn’t pick up running as a hobby. He ran 12 miles a day as a boy just to get to school and back. That relentless early mileage shaped a career that took him from regional competitions in Kenya’s Laikipia region to the start lines of Boston, London, and Philadelphia, logging up to almost 100 miles a week at his peak and earning a sponsorship from Nike along the way. He later founded a community marathon under the Amazing Maasai Girls project, which still runs annually. Now at Ol Lentille, Solomon offers guests something no race can sell: a run through the Kenyan savannah, guided by one of the country’s most remarkable long-distance runners. During the run, travelers get to move through the landscape the way Solomon does – reading the terrain, the wind, and the wildlife.
CHEM CHEM LODGE, TANZANIA — Experience the wildest interval session
Running through Tanzania’s private Chem Chem Concession alongside a Maasai warrior, guests quickly understand why Maasai runners historically needed no GPS. These are guardians of the land, and they set the pace here. As the concession is home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, and elephants, wildlife doesn’t just add atmosphere here; it dictates the route in real time. Distances and terrain are tailored to each guest, so whether they’re chasing a new trail PR or just want an unforgettable easy day, the run is adapted to them.
OL MALO, KENYA — Elevation and exposure with the Three Peaks Challenge
Perched on a ridge above the Samburu Valley with Mount Kenya as a backdrop, Ol Malo’s Three Peaks Challenge is for the most experienced runners. Starting at the lodge, the course drops sharply off the ridge, climbs a demanding second peak, pushes on to a third, and returns – all on terrain shared with lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo. A Samburu guide runs alongside guests throughout and, when wildlife crosses the path, runners adapt to navigate around them, making it the run they will talk about for years to come.
