The Lewa Safari Marathon is known worldwide as one of the most beautiful but toughest races. On June 27th, more than 1,000 runners and many volunteers came together at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Runners shared the course with Africa’s famous wildlife and faced a challenging route. This year, the rough terrain was even harder, with dust and slippery, uneven paths pushing every athlete to their limits. The difficulty showed in the results: the men’s elite winner finished in 2:27:04, much slower than the usual 2:03:00 times seen on flat city marathons.

Despite these tough conditions, a powerful story of resilience and community support stood out. Running for DBA Africa, elite runner Daniel Ndambuki delivered an impressive performance, finishing 8th overall in 2:42:15.

Daniel’s top-ten finish is impressive, but his story makes it even more special. He works as a security guard at the VetLab Sports Club in Nairobi. During the third DBA Africa “Great Leveller” 5km race, Daniel met our team. He asked about joining the running group, and that simple question led to a journey that changed his life. Daniel soon became an important and inspiring part of our running community.

Daniel reached the Lewa start line thanks to the amazing support from the Great Leveller runners in the Loresho group. They believed in his talent and dedication and worked together to provide him with the help he needed: logistical, financial, and emotional, to prepare for the tough race. Their support grew even more with help from Healthy U, who gave Daniel a special gift pack with important supplements and a professional water bottle, things he had only dreamed of before.

The Lewa Safari Marathon is more than just a race. With support from partners like Safaricom and Huawei, it raises important funds to help protect Kenya’s wildlife and natural habitats.

For DBA Africa, Daniel’s 8th-place finish shows what the Great Leveller series is all about: using sport to give everyone a fair chance, discover local talent, and bring people together. We are truly grateful to the Loresho running group, Healthy U, and everyone who helped Daniel succeed. His story shows that with strong community support, any challenge can be overcome.