Running for the Rhinos - Goal 15

Student James Fleming shares with us his intrepid experience of taking part in the 2019 London Virgin Money Marathon this past April, as an initiative to raise funds for Save the Rhino International, an organisation dedicated to protecting these beautiful animals and fight against Rhino poaching, where their horns are targetted as selling trade. James writes about what drove him to do this and how he is contributing to Sustainable Development Goal number 15: Protecting Life on Land.

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The Virgin Money London Marathon is the largest annual fundraising event on the planet. This year, the LM will have raised over £1 billion for charity, hence their #ThanksaBillion campaign. There are few charities more synonymous with the London Marathon than Save the Rhino, who take to the streets of the capital every year in the iconic rhino costumes. The costumes weigh between 8-10kg, have little ventilation and visibility, and are not designed for running, yet people choose to run in them anyway. One might think that half of running the London Marathon is taking in the historic sights as runners wind their way through the city, which is difficult to do when peering through a letterbox-sized slot between the ears of a massive plastic rhino head. So why do people do it? And more importantly, how?

James running at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon

Having grown up in Zimbabwe, conservation and wildlife was a constant theme in my life. We were taught about it at school and at home, and saw it first hand through trips out into the bush. We were incredibly privileged to have such diverse and magnificent animals within a drive of only a few hours. This gives Zimbabweans an appreciation for wildlife that makes it hard to stand by in the face of threats to it, like poaching.

Growing up in Zimbabwe, conservation and wildlife was a constant theme in James' life.

In 2017, 1028 rhino were killed by poachers in South Africa alone. At present, 3 rhinos are poached every day for their horn across Africa. Rhino poaching has reached crisis point, and across the globe, rhino habitats are shrinking. Today, three of the five species of rhino are Critically Endangered, and two of them have fewer than 80 animals left in the wild. Fortunately, we can stop poaching and habitat loss, so that in 20 years’ time, rhinos will no longer be near extinction. But time is of the essence, and we need to act now.

James preparing for the marathon and getting used to the Rhino suit conditions.

My action comes in the form of the London Marathon, a run of 26.2 miles on a mild day in the south of England, in a big rhino costume. But a marathon is more than just 26 miles. A marathon is the culmination of weeks of effort, training through the cold, dark and windy winter, through the ups and downs of life, minor injuries, and major recoveries. Hours spent aching after long sessions, blisters, sore feet and muscles, the nerves in the days leading up to the big day and then, finally, the marathon itself. A victory lap showcasing all the hard work and determination of the previous months in a roughly 4-hour ordeal of pure triumph and beers at the finish line. If you’re going to put yourself through something like that, it may as well be for a good cause.

James on the day of the marathon, pictured with his Rhino costume.

The initial idea to raise money for Save The Rhino came about when myself and a friend of mine wanted to set out to walk a length of the Zambezi River, situated on the northern border of Zimbabwe leading into Zambia. When this began to look unlikely, we looked for alternatives. If we couldn’t walk, why not run?

We decided to run for Save The Rhino in October 2018, and have thought about this big old run every day since. Fundraising has been a lesson in rejection that I never saw coming, but after harassing enough people over social media, a Bingo Night, and a Golf Day, we’ve raised over £5000 towards the cause.

Save The Rhino supports 25 field programmes spanning 12 countries, with each programme varying slightly, from protecting rhino by funding rangers and rhino care, to community involvement through education and grants. Not only is this a great cause, it's an incredibly well-run charity.

On 19th March 2018, Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, died, and with him, his species. Social media was awash with people posting how they felt about his loss, their concern for the state of rhino populations, and their disgust at the poaching of wildlife, but other than that, not an awful lot was being done. Sharing a story across social media is not a difficult thing to do, but as powerful as social media can be, and while raising awareness is important, these shares don’t go very far without some form of action backing them up. In light of the state of climate change at the moment, action is more important than ever. We are facing a man-made disaster on a global scale, and if we’re trying to save the planet and its wildlife, an Instagram story isn’t going to cut it.