The cause
What does Street Child of Sierra Leone do?
  
Travel information
How safe is Sierra Leone?
How do I get to Sierra Leone?
I'd love to come but I'm worried that I can't afford it?
How will I get around the country?
What will the climate be in May 2013?
Do I need a visa for Sierra Leone?
What, other than being marathon fit, are the travel requirements?
Travel/health insurance
What money should I bring?
Where will I sleep?
What should I pack (apart from my running kit)?

Run information
Where will I be running?
What is the route?
What distances will I be running?
When does the race take place?
What is the terrain like?
How much do I need to raise to be eligible?
What run packages are available?

What are the add-on options?
How can I pay?
Who is managing the race?
What facilities are available around the route?
What medical facilities will be available?
How should I prepare for the race?

Sierra Leone Ex Pats can register through this link

The Cause
What does Street Child of Sierra Leone (Street Child) do?
Street Child is a volunteer-led UK-registered charity committed to spending 90% of public donations on high-impact projects, focussed above all on reducing the numbers of children on the streets of Sierra Leone - a country the UN ranked as recently as 2008 as the least developed in the world.

We help children away from street life and back into home and school (over one thousand since December 2008 with a 95% success rate of the children staying in school and off the street).

We also work to stop children coming to the street in the first place - by promoting child rights and protection.

Finally, we build schools and train teachers in villages which don't yet have a school through the main project ECiS, 'Every Child in School'.

In Tambakha chiefdom in the far North, Street Child have helped 12 communities develop their first ever educational system since 2010. These schools are now attended by over 1500 children.

Travel Information
How safe is Sierra Leone?
The civil war was horrific but is long gone. Peace was declared in 2002 and the country has made steady progress since then. Today it is fair to describe Sierra Leone as one of West Africa's safest destinations but by Western standards, or even by the standards of those who have been on safari or beach holidays in East Africa, it is important to note that this is 'qualified praise'.

Reconstruction continues, foreign investors are arriving and SL is increasingly on the map as an adventure tourism destination! In fact with some of the most perfect palm-lined sands on the continent, it can't be long before Sierra Leone takes its place in the packaged beach-holiday scene. But until transport and 'getting around' become a little easier, visitors can have the surf outside the capital, Freetown, pretty much to themselves.

In short, in the absence of extreme bad-luck or traveller stupidity, and despite the poor state of the transport network, the presence of various tropical diseases and a basic health-care infrastructure, the overwhelming majority of traveller visits to Sierra Leone are free of incident. As with any holiday destination travellers should be vigilant and sensible and take the same precautions they would visiting any other foreign country.

Even back in 2008, when Sierra Leone was officially ranked the bottom of the Human Development Index (HDI), the Telegraph wrote:

'Sierra Leone may not be an obvious holiday destination but it's safe and welcoming - and the beaches are superb'.
Since 2008 it has risen 10 places on the HDI, a reflection of just how rapidly things are changing and developing. The following links have more information:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/feb/01/freetown-sierra-leone
http://www.sl.undp.org/sloverview.htm

How do I get to Sierra Leone?

Runners will need to purchase their own flights to Sierra Leone. Gambia Bird is our official airline and are offering runners discounted rates from London or Barcelona. Please call the office 020 7638 4720 for more details.   

I'd love to come but I'm worried that I can't afford it?
This event is first and foremost about raising money for our critical work with vulnerable children. If you think you could raise a great amount of money we really want you there, no matter what!

So if that is you - and a bit of a hand with the air-fare might make the difference - please absolutely get in touch. Our sponsors have set aside a sum of money to help us get people like you out there!

Please email lewis@street-child.co.uk and hopefully we will be able to sort something out.

How will I get around the country?
Transport from the airport to and around Makeni will be provided. If you wish to visit other parts of the country before or after the race, please see our add-on packages.

What will the climate be in May 2013?
Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, warm temperatures and high humidity. May is on the cusp of the dry season moving into the rainy season. The run will be hot - but with a dawn start to avoid the worst of the heat and regular water and rehydration stops, hopefully not too hot!

Do I need a visa for Sierra Leone?
You will need a visa, unless you are from West Africa. Street Child of Sierra Leone can help organise this.

What, other than being marathon fit, are the travel requirements?
See a travel nurse and doctor at least 6-8 weeks before travel. You should visit your local GP for advice if necessary. Unless you travelled recently to a similar destination it is almost certain you will need a few injections! Two absolute must-haves are a vaccination certificate for yellow fever which is required for entry and anti-malarial drugs.

Travel and health insurance
This is down to you to organise. Make sure you are covered for sporting events of this nature and it covers Sierra Leone. We ask that you make sure you are personally covered for your trip.

What money should I bring?
Bring cash. Pounds are easily changed, dollars even more so (but not so much so that it is worth changing pounds into dollars . . .). Credit card use in Sierra Leone is very limited - worth bringing the card strictly as a back-up only. Big denominations of cash get better rates - but avoid pre-1996 series Dollars as they are rejected by many businesses and some banks.

Where will I sleep?
We are offering three levels of accommodation. Our 'adventure' accomodation will consist of temporary accommodation situated either under canvas, in a temporary construction or in a building converted for our use. It is likely to involve sharing accommodation and washing facilities with your fellow competitors. All our packages are fun, but this is the most fun!

Our standard accommodation package will utilise a number of basic guest-houses and hotels. The standard varies. You will have a bed in a secure, clean (enough) room likely with en suite access to a proper loo and a shower-area which will probably have cold water, very unlikely hot water (but it is so hot anyway) and if you are unlucky just a bucket to pour over yourself.

Our premium accommodation will utilise Makeni's best hotel which will consist of a secure, clean room with en suite. 

Bring a mosquito net (though some hotels have them).

What should I pack (apart from my running kit)?
- Torch and batteries.
- Umbrella and a rain coat.
- Mosquito repellent with deet in.
- Favourite food and snacks
- Anti bacteria hand gel - dramatically reduces your chances of travellers tummy
- Mosquito net (a double one is recommended as there are few single beds) and a sleeping bag liner.
- Swimming costume/ shorts
- Towel
- An old unlocked mobile phone - so you can buy a Sierra Leone sim and use the top up cards out here (massively cheaper than using your UK phone).
- Dioralite / senacot / Imodium - Your digestive system is likely to be a bit unsettled, prepare in advance!
- Insect bite cream.
- Antiseptic cream and plasters.
- Cards, games, activities for the evenings (electricity is not guaranteed)
- Money belt (not essential but a good idea).
- If you are planning on travelling elsewhere in SL the Bradt guidebook is a good buy - £12 on Amazon.

Note on clothing
Girls: locals tend not to show too much leg so avoid very 'short' shorts when travelling around.

Race information

Where will I be running?
The marathon will take place in a city called Makeni, the 3rd largest city in Sierra Leone (after Freetown and Bo). It is the economic centre of northern Sierra Leone and the capital of Bombali District. It lies about 110 miles east of Freetown - a 3-4 hour drive from Freetown.

Most importantly, Makeni is where Street Child of Sierra Leone set up in 2008. Although the charity has expanded nationwide since then, it remains our hub town, which means that there will be lots of opportunities to visit and interact with our work. Holding the race there also means that our staff, and hopefully even the children, will be able to play a part in the manning and staging of the event. We have excellent networks in Makeni, from the police to the tribal and council authorities. Because of this, Makeni, apart from being the place we most want you to come to, is also the place we can safely, securely and enjoyably put on this extraordinary event. Finally, staging the run in Makeni gets you into 'the real Sierra Leone'. Not that Freetown isn't Sierra Leone - it is - but life outside the capital is very different indeed, and we think the experience for all will be much richer for it.

What is the route?
The race route is available on the website, via Google Earth. Click on the race info link to see it.

What distances will I be running?
There will be three options
5k: Run, jog or walk this and join in the fun! Children and adults alike can take part in this race. 
Half Marathon (13.1 miles).
The full Marathon (26.2miles).

When does the race take place?
The date will be 26th May 2013 and the races will start early to avoid the worst of the sun!

What is the terrain like?
The Sierra Leone Marathon will be run on both urban and rural roads. The majority of these are hard-packed mud roads, but also some tarmac. The route will take in some of the most beautiful scenes of Northern Sierra Leone.

How much do I need to raise to be eligible to take part?
Other than covering your costs to take part, we ask that you raise as much as you can. As a guideline, most runners have set a minimum of £1000. Part of participants' experience will be you seeing where your money will be going and meeting some of the children we have already helped. Street Child's UK team will be willing to help as much as possible with any fund-raising initiative or advice.

Because we keep our overheads in the UK to a minimum, we guarantee that a minimum of 90% of money raised will go directly to our work in Sierra Leone (the amount we guarantee is incredibly high compared to most organisations).

To give you some idea of where your money goes, here are some examples:

£1 Buys a child a pair of sandals.

£5 Buys a rucksack, exercise books, pens and pencils for school.

£15 Feeds a child twice a day for a month.

£40 Pays for a child to attend school for an entire year.

£100 Pays the monthly salary of a nurse or social worker.

£500 Funds a child from life on the street to life at home. This includes school fees, counselling, skills training, sanitary products, staff costs, and the small business grant their families can receive to help them set up on their own and support their own children.

£1000+ Funds the construction of a temporary class-room or mini-'school' in a rural village allowing children to go to school immediately and throughout the rainy season. It also gives us time to start work on a permanent structure which can take up to 3 years to build.

£5000+ Funds the construction of a 2+ class-room village school for 100+ children: the first proper school that village has ever had...