In April 2015, a 5-person Running for Rangers team ran the infamous ‘Marathon des Sables’. This is a grueling, six-day, 250km multi-stage adventure race through a formidable landscape in one of the world's most inhospitable climates - the Sahara desert. You must be fully self-sufficient, carrying on your back everything except water that you need to survive. You are given a place in a tent to sleep at night, but all other equipment and food must be carried.
Why did they do it? It's all in the name. Running for Rangers are a dedicated group of individuals who run marathons and ultra marathons worldwide to raise money for the welfare of the rangers who risk their lives daily to protect elephants and rhino in Africa.
In January 2016, the Ol Pejeta KPR ranger team received much-needed uniforms and equipment, from money raised by the Running for Rangers at the Marathon des Sables.
The new uniforms being disbursed to the rangers.
Good quality military clothing is not available in Kenya and has to be imported. This includes decent boots, socks and wet and cold weather gear. "If rangers are not a adequately equipped in their areas of operations they will cease to be effective at their jobs. They will also lose morale with the possibility of defecting or being threatened by to the poaching gangs" says a member of the Running for Ranger team. The cost of equipping and training a frontline ranger for a year is a little over $6,000.
The donation to Ol Pejeta included uniforms, boots, socks, hats, solar power units for deployed teams and GPS units worth around US$ 15,000. This year, Running for Rangers aims to raise US$ 1.2 million to ensure that all 203 armed rangers in Kenya’s private and community conservation areas are adequately equipped with top-quality basic equipment, well paid, incentivised and trained. Their 2016 challenge is the Jungle Ultra in Peru - a 230km high altitude run through jungle trails, mountain roads and village tracks. During this 5 stage event, humidity levels will approach 100%, and the runners will be self-sufficient, carrying their own hammock, sleeping bag, food and supplies for the entire race.