Welcome to Run Kenya!

Please see below for pretty much everything that you need to know in advance of your upcoming adventure. You can also click "My Trips" at the top of this page to access and edit your personal information, register for early arrival and view/pay your remaining balance at any time.

 And of course, feel free to refresh yourself on the full itinerary and inclusions/exclusions any time at this link: https://www.roguexpeditions.com/running-tours/africa/kenya/

GUIDES + CONTACTS

Your main RE contact for any pre-trip questions or concerns is [email protected].

Your lead Rogue Expeditions guide for this trip will be Kara Folkerts; contact info for your guides will be sent out prior to departure!

FLIGHTS

*Please do not book flights until you have received confirmation that the group size minimum has been met*

Once you have booked your flight, please submit your flight details here.

For this trip you will need to arrive in Nairobi (NBO) no later than Sunday, September 21 (or Saturday, September 20 if you choose early arrival) and depart the same place no earlier than 8pm on Sunday, September 28. If you choose an earlier departure we can help you arrange transport from the Masai Mara to Nairobi, but you will be responsible for any additional cost and will be on your own for the journey.

Please note that late-evening arrivals and departures are common and recommended!  We will be there to meet you at the airport, and we will take you back there at the end of the trip. Those departing late on the 28th will have a place to freshen up before going to the airport.

All visitors to Kenya must obtain their eTA (electronic travel authorisation) online before the trip, which you can do here. Please note that visas on arrival are no longer an option.

Want tips & tricks for landing flight deals? Check out this article.

THE PACKING LIST

READ THIS: Packing (light) tips for your next adventure

GENERAL THINGS TO CONSIDER

*This is an active trip with lots of time in rural areas. However, dinners at the safari camps tend to be a bit more upscale, so a set or two of nice-ish clothes (ie non-running clothing) would be good. Think clean shorts/jeans and button up shirt/polo for men and skirt/jeans/nice shorts with a blouse for women. 

*Otherwise, think lightweight, quick-drying, interchangeable items/colors, and layers.

*Any type of luggage is fine, but backpacks or duffel bag with backpack straps tend to be the most durable, easy to move around with and can hold a lot. Some of the safari camps require short walks on stone paths and/or stairs, so wheeled luggage isn't always ideal.  

*The flight from the Maasai Mara to Nairobi is operated by SafariLink and they restrict total luggage to 15kg (33lbs) per person. Sometimes they enforce and it and sometimes they don’t, but if they do then you will have to pay to get an overweight bag onboard. Less is better when on an adventure!

*Have some sort of ‘day bag,’ whether it’s a small backpack, messenger bag, etc. It should be big enough to carry money, a camera, a water bottle, and a jacket – something you can keep with you in the vehicle for easy access during travel time.

*You don’t need a different running outfit for every day. You can easily re-wear a few items throughout the trip, and a rinse-out in the shower keeps things clean enough – hang it outside your window for a quick dry! You may have an opportunity for laundry in both Iten and in the Masai Mara, but please don't rely on it.

CLOTHES

*2-3 pairs running shorts

*3-4 short sleeve running shirts/tank tops + jog bras and 1 long sleeve running shirt

*3-4 non running shirts/tops (1 or 2 nicer casual tops for dinners)

*1-2 pairs pants and/or skirt

*1 warm jacket (Iten can be quite chilly at night)
*1 lightweight jacket or pullover 

*1 running jacket (water proof is always a smart decision!)

*Underwear

*1 set of sleepwear

ACCESSORIES + SHOES

*1 pair running shoes (You can get away with road OR trail shoes for this trip; you'll be on dirt every day but nothing particularly technical)

*1 pair flip flops

*1 pair non-running shoes (optional)

*6-7 pairs socks 

*Running hat

*Sunglasses

*Swimsuit 

*Day bag

*Towels are provided by the hotels but you may want a small pack towel for sweat/rain/etc.

*Large handheld bottle (20+oz) or hydration running pack
*Reusable water bottle for day-to-day use (please note that there is an enforced plastic bag ban in Kenya which often extends to single-use plastic water bottles as well)

*Optional but highly encouraged: some sort of personal water filter. We will provide drinking water, but it all comes in plastic which is unlikely to be recycled. Having your own water filter allows you to safely fill your reusable bottle with tap water and reduces so much waste! The Katadyn soft flask filters are amazing for travel (they weigh nothing!), as are the Grayl bottles.

TOILETRIES 

*Travel bottles of shampoo/soap/conditioner

*Toothbrush/toothpaste

*Brush/comb

*Few travel packages of kleenex and/or wetwipes (emergency/backup TP)

*Feminine products

*Razor

*Contacts/solution if needed

*Sunblock

*Dramamine (if you tend to get motion sickness – there will be some seriously bumpy roads at times!)

*Moleskin or bandaids – we’ll have some of this for the group, but blisters are a common problem and it’s good to have some of your own on hand

*Any other medication you may need (we carry full first aid kit for emergencies but please bring anything that you foresee needing for yourself)

DOCUMENTS

*Passport (US citizens must have 6 months validity when you enter Kenya)

*Your eTA paperwork. Non-US citizens should check with their consulate for specific requirements.

*1-2 credit/debit cards (make sure to call your bank the week before departure and tell them the dates that you will be in Kenya, as well as any other stops. This way they won’t put a security hold on your card).

*Contact info for Kara (1-403-598-1014 | [email protected]) 

*Copies of flight itineraries (no guarantee of pulling it up in your email at our final destination)

OTHER STUFF

*Camera + charger (long range zoom lens for serious photographers on safari drives – it’s worth bringing)

*Books or tablet

*Journal/pens if desired

*Phone + charger
*Binoculars for safari (optional but recommended!)

*Ear plugs or headphones if you are a light sleeper/your roommate snores

*Electrical adapter G (two flat prongs + middle), like this.

Country: Kenya

Language: English & Swahili

Currency: Kenyan Shilling

Landscapes: Fertile highlands, volcanic mountains,  the lake-studded Great Rift Valley, low plains and sweeping grasslands.

Food:
We will eat fresh, healthy meals throughout the trip with a wide range of choices at most meals. Big English breakfasts - think eggs, sausage & toast - are common, and a variety of porridges, cereals, yogurt, fruit, and Kenyan specialties will also be available. Lunches will generally be boxed to accommodate our travel schedule; expect some combination of sandwiches, grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, cheese + crackers, yogurt, sweets, fruit and juice. Dinners are often buffet-style and feature plenty of local specialties - ugali, stewed greens, lentils, grilled meats, tubers - along with international fare including Indian curries, salads, pastas, etc.
 

Drinks:
Kenya is known for excellent coffee and you’ll have plenty of it, though locals prefer masala tea - chai made with lots of milk. Exotic fresh fruit juices are abundant and fantastic. A wide range of alcoholic beverages are easily found at hotel bars with Tusker Lager the common go-to. Most locals prefer sodas served at room temperature, and you'll often be asked whether you would like yours to be 'warm, or cold?"

Tap water should be filtered before drinking (though it's fine for brushing your teeth and whatnot). We will provide large bottles of drinking water for refilling your personal bottle, but bringing along a personal filtration method is highly encouraged to cut down on plastic use! We love our Katadyn filters and Grayl bottles.
 

Weather:
August weather will be warm but mild, varying a bit among our destinations. Generally speaking, expect lows of 50-60 F / 10-15 C degrees and highs around 75 F / 24 C. Afternoon showers are possible, though they tend to be short and rarely impact plans.

 A few fun facts:

Kenya is located directly on the equator, which contributes to its temperate climate and a consistent 12 hours each of daylight and darkness all year long.

Mt. Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa (after Kilimanjaro), rising to 17,057 ft / 5200 m.

The Great Rift Valley is a chain of connected geographic “trenches” that splits the continent in two, running nearly 3800 mi / 6000 km from Syria to Mozambique. Formed nerLY 30 million years ago, it’s bordered by mountains & volcanoes, and the fertile Kenyan valley floors are dotted with shallow soda lakes.
 

Kenya officially became a British colony in 1920, though the British began settling and taking overpolitically in the 1890s. Kenya eventually won independence in 1963.
 

The “Great Wildebeest Migration” happens twice each year as an estimated 2 million wildebeest, zebra & gazelles migrate across the river between the Maasai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania.

The vast majority of Kenya’s famed distance runners come from a single tribe, the Kalenjin.

Ugali is a thick, starchy cornmeal porridge that Kenyans traditionally eat with nearly every meal. It is used as a utensil and soaks up the flavor of the main dish.