Wikipedia

Big Five Marathon

The Big Five Marathon is a marathon race situated on the savannahs of South Africa. The race gets its name from the famous animals of Africa referred to as The Big Five Game: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. The course of The Big Five Marathon runs through the private game reserve Entabeni in the Limpopo Province, situated between Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park. Even though the course runs directly through a lion territory, safety problems will not be an issue as the route is watched by helicopters and armed rangers. The course of the marathon is atypical for its magnificent savannah scenery among the wildlife of South Africa as well as for its toughness. Even though the marathon takes place in the wintertime, the sun can be brutal on the open savannahs. In addition to this, the marathon's loop course has a diffence in elevation of more than more than 540 m between the lowest and the highest points.[2]

Big Five Marathon
DateJune
LocationEntabeni Game Reserve, South Africa
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon, Half marathon
Established2005
OrganizerAlbatros Adventure Marathons
Course recordsMen's: 3:16:01 (2010)
South Africa Johannes Oosthuizen
Women's: 3:45:24 (2016)
Denmark Anne-Sophie Eriksen
Official siteBig Five Marathon
Participants195 (2024)[1]

History

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The Big Five Marathon was first held in 2005 and has since grown in popularity, attracting marathon runners from around the world. The race was established with the intention of offering a unique adventure marathon experience in the heart of the African wilderness, combining endurance sports with the thrill of proximity to wildlife.[3][4]

Past results

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Key:   Course record

Year Men's winner Time (h:m:s) Women's winner Time (h:m:s)
2005[5]   Leif Vincentsen (DEN) 3:49:38   Pia Lyholm (DEN) 4:22:15
2006[5]   Jan Petersen (RSA) 3:35:59   Lerato Letsheng (RSA) 4:47:01
2007   Jerry Spears (USA) 3:18:13   Lynn Biesheuvel (RSA) 4:17:31
2008   Hylton Dunn (RSA) 3:55:56   Heather White (CAN) 4:42:42
2009   Hylton Dunn (RSA) 3:30:06   Richelle Turner (AUS) 4:43:06
2010   Johannes Oosthuizen (RSA) 3:16:01   Melandie Jennett (RSA) 4:06:14
7th   Scott Campbell (GBR) 3:36:04   Inez-Anne Haagen (NED) 3:47:07
2012   Pierre Poulain (FRA) 3:48:18   Suzanne McKeen (AUS) 4:01:13
2013 {{flagathlete[Jan Havrán|CZE}} 3:50:45   Jo Tebbu (AUS) 4:26:31
2014   Robert Loveridge (NZL) 3:23:37   Cory Newm (AUS) 4:12:57
2015   Shigemi Takayoshi (JPN) 3:24:52   Shannon Rahlves (USA) 4:03:33
2016   Justin Keane (AUS) 3:53:18   Anne-Sophie Eriksen (DEN) 3:45:24
2017   Frank Johans (DEN) 3:28:03   Corelien Klo (NED) 4:00:23
2018   Joan Pere Carbonell (ESP) 3:35:49   Sharon Ryder (AUS) 4:10:10
2019   Vincent Dussault (CAN) 3:40:13   Sarah Silber (RSA) 4:06:49
2020 event cancelled
2021[5]   Christian Stuffer (ITA) 3:38:41   Birgit Klammer (ITA) 4:47:46
2022[5]   Giordano Malossi (ITA) 4:12:14   Kristina Velichkova Nikolova (BUL) 4:11:32
2023[5]   Rasmus Bugge Jensen (DEN) 4:21:13   Claudia A. Josephine Heijden (NED) 4:16:44
2024[5]   Daley Van De Sande (NED) 4:01:14   Marelize Retief (RSA) 3:54:25

References

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  1. ^ "2024 Results". Big Five Marathon. Albatros Adventure Marathons. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Route & Elevation". Big Five Marathon. Albatros Adventure Marathons. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Big Five Marathon: Running in Central South Africa". Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Big Five Marathon & Half 2023". Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Results". Big Five Marathon. Albatros Adventure Marathons. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
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