Marwell 10k Run – Race to Protect Wildlife
Join Marwell’s 10k run on Sunday 27 September and help save tigers.
The Marwell 10k is back for another year! Lace up your running shoes and join us in a race to protect wildlife.
Registration will open at 7am on Friday 6 February.
When: Sunday 27 September 2026
Race start time: 9am (entry from 7:30am)
Where: Marwell Zoo, SO21 1JH
We’ve teamed up with experienced race organisers Running Mania and Hedge End Running Club to deliver this exciting road running event.
Our unique 10km road race begins with a scenic run around Owslebury and the surrounding areas, before finishing up with a loop around the zoo grounds. It’s a fantastic challenge for runners of all levels and this year will be supporting Marwell Wildlife’s innovative tiger conservation project in Bhutan.
What’s included:
- A scenic route through Marwell Zoo and local area
- Medals for all participants
- Option for a special tiger themed t-shirt
- Free Marwell Zoo entry after the race for all participants
- Fundraising bonus for those raising over £75 for Marwell Wildlife
How to register
Entry fee: £34 per person (£32 for club runners), plus a £1.75 booking fee.
When you register to take part in the Marwell 10k, Running Mania will donate towards Marwell’s vital conservation work.
Enter now and race to protect wildlife.
Registration will open at 7am on Friday 6 February.
In accordance with UKA Rules you must be aged 15 on the day of the race.
Enter & race for wildlife
Sign up via our partners, Running Mania, and get ready to race for wildlife! Registration opens at 7am on Friday 6 February.
Enter nowBoost your impact – fundraise with us!
Don’t just take part in the Marwell 10k. Race to protect endangered tigers too. When you get sponsored and fundraise for Marwell Wildlife, you’ll be having an even greater impact and helping to save this iconic and endangered species.
Setting up your personalised page is easy with our dedicated JustGiving campaign. Plus, when you raise £75 or more, you’ll receive a tiger-themed gift as a thank you.
Set up your own JustGiving page to start fundraising now.
Why race to protect tigers?
Join us for the Marwell 10K 2026 and help protect one of the world’s most iconic and endangered animals: the tiger.
Globally, tiger populations are in crisis, with fewer than 5,000 left in the wild. Bhutan, a country renowned for its rich biodiversity and deep cultural connection to nature, has bucked the trend – tiger numbers there have grown by 27% to around 130 individuals. But their survival is far from guaranteed.
Through the Bhutan Tiger Heritage Project, Marwell Wildlife is working with local communities, Buddhist leaders, and conservation experts to protect tigers by combining modern science with traditional cultural knowledge. Phase 1, funded by a generous legacy gift, documented forgotten tiger stories, rituals, and artworks across Bhutan, preserving these vital cultural connections. Now, we are ready to launch Phase 2 – turning these insights into real-world conservation actions that help people and tigers coexist.
But the funding has run out and without your support we cannot continue this vital and innovative project.
Funds raised through the Marwell 10K 2026 will directly support:
- Community engagement programs to reduce human-tiger conflict.
- Livestock protection initiatives that allow tigers to thrive without threatening livelihoods.
- Landscape management that safeguards tiger habitats, including sacred sites.
- Innovative monitoring and conservation actions that respect Bhutanese culture.
Every pound you raise brings us closer to a future where tigers can roam freely, and where communities continue to thrive alongside these majestic creatures. Your participation is a powerful statement: you care about wildlife, culture, and the planet.
Take part in the Marwell 10K 2026. Run for tigers. Fund their future.
FAQs
The Marwell 10k is an official road race, licensed by UK Athletics and organised by Running Mania. All technical queries relating to the event should be directed to info@runningmania.co.uk
Yes, all those runners taking part in the Marwell 10k will receive free entry to the zoo on Sunday 27 September 2026 when it opens to the public. Running Mania will confirm more details closer to the event.
Thank you for registering to take part in the Marwell 10k. All runners receive free entry to the zoo on the day of the event once the zoo has opened to the public. Details of any other offers will be announced and communicated directly to runners closer to the date of the event.
The Marwell 10k will be taking place before the zoo is open to the public. For the safety of runners, spectators won’t be permitted on the route within the zoo during the run. However, they are welcome to come and cheer runners on at both the start and finish of the course.
The Marwell 10k is an official road race, licensed by UK Athletics and organised by Running Mania. Participants should attempt to run as much of the route as possible and ideally within 90-100 minutes. It isn’t suitable for those wishing to walk. As the event will be going out into the local community, we need to be mindful of any disruptions to our neighbours and local residents and keep road closures to a minimum.
If you’re not able to run the course but would still like to support us, you may wish to help volunteer at the event or make a donation to the tiger conservation project.
If you are interested in supporting the Marwell 10k as a volunteer marshal, please contact info@runningmania.co.uk. Please be aware that not all marshal positions will be located within Marwell Zoo.
You can make a donation to the project via our JustGiving page.
Unfortunately dogs aren’t able to join you on the run but spectators can bring their four-legged friends into the plaza area, where the run will start and finish.
