My heart fights against the thin-breathed strain of altitude at more than 1,500 metres above sea level, as loose stones crunch beneath my feet on the auburn sandy road. Trusting my instinct for balance, I glance up to see endangered Grevy zebras, reticulated giraffes and even a white rhino eager to cross the meandering path now shared by more than 1,400 participants. I watch in bewilderment, then urge my legs on under the awakening African sun.
It is 8am, and I am running deeper – 13.2 miles to be exact – into the 62,000 acres of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, nestled within the Mount Kenya Unesco world heritage site. Located in northern Meru County, Lewa is a heart-palpitating 50-minute bush plane journey from Nairobi.
