Running for Wildlife

“Conservation is so important; we all need to be conscious of how precious our planet is, and we can make a difference if we all work together,” says Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath.

She is speaking while feeding the giraffes with her sons, John, Viscount Weymouth and Lord Henry Thynn, whose delight at the experience is clear to see as they joyfully share browse with the animals, one of which is named after their mum.

“They have endless energy,” laughs Emma as she turns to respond to a “look mum” request from the duo.

Emma is an ambassador for African wildlife conservation charity Tusk which the estate has supported for decades by raising hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund a range of projects in Africa.

Now it’s Emma, who is spearheading fund-raising, as she prepares to take part in one of the most gruelling endurance races in the world, running across a reserve populated by large predators – lions and leopards, as well as giraffes and zebras.

Emma, along with husband, Ceawlin, the 8th Marquess of Bath whose family has lived at Longleat for 16 generations will be visiting projects supported by the estate during their time in Africa

.The Lewa Marathon is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025 with participants able to choose from a full or half marathon or a 10k challenge; Emma has picked the latter for her first attempt.“I’ve never done anything like this before; it is exciting, important and I know it will be emotional and poignant.

“I always find it humbling when I see a giraffe or a rhino or one of the other endangered species so close; a lot of the work we do at Longleat is to protect them for future generations.

“Running in the animals’ environment presents its own challenges but the rangers at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy keep everyone safe.

“The run will be quite different to running here; it is very hilly, very hot, very rugged terrain and high altitude, you need some time to acclimatise. I feel a little apprehensive but I’m being sensible and doing it with the best advice.”

She has a weak hip so is training with extra muscle support and can be regularly found listening to hip hop music through headphones as she pounds the lanes around Longleat and the village of Horningsham. She also uses a treadmill, say the boys, speaking with pride in their voices.

However, Emma highlights: “No-one achieves a PB (personal best) in Lewa because of the altitude and the heat; I will be doing it at a very slow pace.”

Fitness has always been one of her passions, she says.

“When you’re a mum and you are busy, running is meditative; you can go off on your own. I tend to run early in the mornings. I always feel able to cope with everything when I’ve been running.

“I can also see the seasons changing, the swans are nesting, ducklings hatching; it’s beautiful to see the seasons passing.”

Emma has been an ambassador for Tusk for more than six years; its patron is HRH The Prince of Wales. For her the importance of highlighting conservation shines through her conversation and she says: “It’s an honour to be an ambassador. I have huge respect for the work they do, the awareness they are raising around the issues facing animals and the projects they are delivering for the future and the next generation.

“Ceawlin and I are looking forward to it and seeing the work taking place. We are going to visit projects and schools funded by the money raised at Longleat and see the great work they are doing and meet people who dedicate their lives to the protection of the endangered species and habitat. I’m so excited we finally get to go and see what is happening there.

“It is a collaborative effort to protect species which are endangered but also the habitat; this synchronicity is what we are working towards.”

The event takes place on 28 June and donations can be made via https://gbp25.supportlewasafarimarathon.com/campaigns/Tusk-Trust