Just getting to the start line of this race has been an adventure. For the runners and for the team behind the scenes.  Over the last 12 months, the runners have trained and researched and prepared themselves for an epic journey, and ourselves and our race partners have prepared to receive them.

It’s almost hard to see how an event could live up to the level of expectation which has been raised throughout that time.  When the winner of the race crossed the finish line earlier and was handed a medal by the greatest marathon runner on earth there was a real feeling that the journey may have been everything we’d all hoped it could be.

Still, that’s skipping to the end. Let’s not forget that the runners covered more than a marathon today and even the strongest of them were doing it on tired legs and battered feet. As I type the sun is heading for the horizon, some of the runners are sitting with our team in the dusk light, a lone elephant (which has been spectating all day) is munching through the tree line a hundred metres or so off to our right and we’re waiting for the last runner to reach the equator, our finish line.

The runners left Ol Jogi this morning and everyone took to the line. Even the Italians shook off their niggling injuries to set off towards Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Spirits were as high as the trepidation levels and another cheer went up when we started the race with a helicopter fly-past again.

After leaving the grounds of the school we stayed at last night the runners headed out of that conservancy and onto a long straight road through local settlements, seeing other people for the first time since stage one. It being a Sunday, there were many churchgoers along the roads who stopped to marvel at the runners coming by. Still, the road itself was a mental grind and the runners found it mentally very tough.

After this, they headed through the massive gates that lead into Ol Pejeta Conservancy, another massive open plain packed with wildlife. This was the final half marathon length stretch. Food, drink and rest were waiting just a little way ahead along with a medal and a chance to shake hands with a running legend.
This squeezed some excellent performances out of the pack and many people ran out of their skins today.

The first over the line was Francesco Rigodanza securing the overall race win with another excellent performance. He was followed shortly afterwards by Allessio Zambon who almost fell over when he realised who was handing him his medal. Third place was taken by American Abe Nelson who has been consistently strong throughout the race.

First female over the line was Jacqui Manson who has looked immensely strong throughout the event and said herself that she had ‘red-lined the entire stage’ to meet Kipchoge. Second was Elizabeth Winton who crossed the line alongside Enda Brady from Sky Sports, two more people who were immensely excited to meet our guest of honour.

Kasia Bury put in an amazing run today in an attempt to regain the third position overall which she had held earlier in the race and she came in third today having pushed to the limit all day. Though she closed the gap on Carolin Botterill it was our Jungle veteran Carolin who took third overall.

Time has moved on a little now and our last runner crossed the line less than half an hour ago. Oliver Tovey has been struggling with injuries that could have stopped another runner. He would not quit though and nor would we, he had an entourage here waiting in the sun to greet him and he deserved that at the very least for the effort he put in.

It’s been a phenomenal five days. We’ve seen elephants and rhinos, helicopters and recon planes, tough amateurs and world-beating professionals. We’ve all taken the journey together and, as happens on all of these events, friendships have been forged which will last for life.

We cannot say thank you enough to the brave rangers who watched over us, the conservancies who let us into their beautiful lands and to all of the runners themselves.
Remember why these runners put themselves through this. We’re all here to support our race partners at Save the Rhino and For Rangers. Look into their work and do what you can to support them.
Thank you all too for sticking with us. It genuinely means the world to these runners that they are watched over by friends and family at home.