Running wild: Banham Zoo welcomes racers for inaugural 5km event

Hundreds of runners took part in the first Banham Zoo 5km run last weekend, cheered on by almost as many spectators.

The race, which raised funds for the Zoological Society of East Anglia, which runs the attraction and its sister site Africa Alive in Kessingland, Suffolk, was a sell-out, with 500 runners and 300 spectators.

Joshua Hunter-Harl, head of income generation at the zoo, said he was delighted with the success of the inaugural event.

“The money raised will help with vital funds for the zoo and our conservation work,” he said. “It was great to see so many people come out in support and we were overwhelmed by the generosity of the runners and supporters.

“A big thank you to all our race day partners volunteers; without their help, the race wouldn’t have been possible.”

Due to its success, the zoo’s team are already planning next year’s run, with ambitions to open it to a bigger field of runners.