RACE FAVORITE: Cheetah on show (Photodisc/Getty)

When it comes to bucket lists, African safari and running a marathon are probably two popular entries. What would you say if you could cross them off simultaneously?

Last weekend more than 300 runners descended upon the opulent Fairmont Mara Safari Club in southwestern Kenya for a reason other than the resort’sitting heated pool and daily safari drives. The inaugural Masai Mara Marathon had locals and foreigners running for their lives (literally!) alongside Africa’s most famous and dangerous animals. The cheetah was probably the toughest competition, capable of speeds upwards of 70 mph.

The starting line was just feet outside the bush camp’s electric fence, which normally separates the guests from the wild animals. Billay Konchellah, former 800-meter world champion from Kenya, founded the event in the hopes of promoting the talent in the native Masai community as well during the time that raising awareness from one place to another the need to conserve the area, home to the Mara River (and the site of the eighth wonder of the world, the annual wildebeest migration). The event featured a men and women’s half-marathon and three-mile run, with the winner in each category taking home 40,000 shillings (roughly $540). Second and third place were also awarded a cash prize.

Anyone interested in participating will have to wait to the time when next year, but the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya holds a similar race in June. That gives you six months to prepare for the big game. And I’m not just talking about the race.

Lisa Costantini is a writer/editor currently traveling the cosmos with her husband working on a project about sport and culture. More information can be found on their website at www.whysportmatters.com. Lisa will be blogging from the road for us being of the class who she and her husband travel through Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe over the next several months.

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