Review by Laura Watts
Where: Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire
When: January 2026
Distance: 10k + 2mile fun run
Terrain: Traffic free, concrete paths
Organiser: 2:09 Events
Cost: £27-£29 and includes entry to Longleat Estate (the Safari Park is closed)
Website: https://www.longleat10k.co.uk/
Overview
The Longleat 10K is not for the faint-hearted — two loops, big hills, with some stunning scenery. From the moment you line up at the start, you know you’re in for something special. Facing the beautiful Longleat House as the race begins is pretty magical…but don’t get too comfortable!
The course
Just a few hundred metres in, after turning the first corner, bam — there it is. The first hill hits you straight away, climbing up to a massive 180m of elevation. It’s a brutal wake-up call…and just in case you forget it, you get to do it all over again at 8km. Yes, the same monster hill returns for round two.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a cheeky hill lurking around the halfway point. Not quite as savage, but still a respectable 140m of elevation, just to remind you that this course does not mess around!
But as the saying goes — what goes up must come down! And thankfully, the final kilometre rolls beautifully downhill, giving you the perfect chance to empty the tank. It even became my fastest kilometre of the race, which felt like a small victory after all that climbing!!
The surroundings
The scenery really is a highlight. Around the 6km mark, you run among the giant redwoods — the kind you’d expect to see at Center Parcs just down the road — and it’s absolutely stunning. It definitely helps take your mind off the legs! One thing to note though — despite running through Longleat grounds, you don’t actually see any animals, as the park itself is closed until the start of February. So no mid-run lion spotting!
Logisitics
The event itself was very well organised:
♡ Easy bag drop
♡ Free photos to download (always a winner!)
♡ A stunning medal featuring the famous Longleat lion face
♡ A lovely goodie bag…although there were no actual goodies inside! I love a sweet treat at the end of a race.
The car park, however, was a bit of a nightmare, and with over 1,200 runners, the race was understandably busy. There were both 2-mile and 10K options, all starting at the same time, which made the opening stretch a little crowded — but nothing worth complaining about.
Overall
This is definitely not a PB course, but it is a course that will make you feel pretty strong. Just be warned, you’ll almost certainly leave feeling like you need to add a few hill sprints into your training plan.
Challenging, beautiful, and totally worth it — the Longleat 10K is a race you won’t forget!