Run Wild Races
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Event overview
The 11th bi-annual Run Wild Race is scheduled for October 11, 2025, at the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia. The event is held in partnership with the Metro Richmond Zoo and offers multiple race formats on zoo grounds. Each participant receives free admission to the zoo on race day; spectators are eligible for a 10% discount on zoo admission. Since fall 2020, Run Wild Races has donated over $27,000 to conservation projects.
Distances and course details
- 1 Mile
- 5k (3.1 miles)
- Wild Ninja (approx. 2 miles)
The 1 Mile course runs mostly on zoo pathways with a few all-terrain sections (pavement 70%, grass 20%, gravel 5%, dirt 5%). Awards for the mile are given only for children ages 2-11. Parents may run with children but require a ticket; children 1 and under do not need a ticket. Strollers are permitted if they can handle all-terrain.
The 5k is an all-terrain course that starts inside the zoo and spans the perimeter, passing facilities such as the Cheetah Conservation Center. The route includes dirt, mulch, and grass trails, some gravel and asphalt, winding turns, bridges over creeks, rolling terrain, and a few steep hills, with views of zoo animals.
The Wild Ninja is an approx. 2 mile obstacle course scored on obstacle completion rather than time. It includes up to 42 obstacles, some modeled on obstacles seen on American Ninja Warrior, and is described as representing challenges animals face in the wild.
Conservation focus
One hundred percent of net proceeds from the event will benefit African lion conservation. The site lists several lion population facts: a 90% decrease in the last century, an estimated 23,000 lions remaining in the wild, and extinction in 26 of 54 African countries. Lions are listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, with some regions classified as "critically endangered." The event’s listed charity partner is Lion Guardians, a conservation organization working on community-based lion protection and conflict mitigation across several countries. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.