The Ugandan government under the ministry of sports has pledged to inject over three billion shillings into the coming Tusker Rwenzori Marathon, scheduled for August, 22,2026 in Kasese.
The 5th edition of the Rwenzori Marathon was launched last evening at the Kampala Sheraton hotel with top government seniors including the deputy speaker Thomas Tayebwa,Hon Nyombi Thembo plus other officials.
The organizers of this year’s event are expecting over five thousand participants or runners, said Amos Wekesa also lead champion of sports tourism.
The Tusker Lite Mt. Rwenzori Marathon is back and promising with bigger numbers than ever before with over five thousand runners expected.
Sports tourism is becoming one of the hottest selling cake and bagging over shs30bn into government coffers as tax revenue.
We are really delighted as government for hosting such a major event on the Uganda sporting calendar, said Hon Nyombi Thembo also top head of the Uganda Communications Commission.
The race has been added to the World Athletics calendar and also attained a ‘Label Marathon status’, signifying that he meets the highest standards of quality, safety, and elites.
The marathon is now only the ‘third’ race in the region and the seventh on the African continent to achieve Label Marathon status.
There have been great strides in sports development, and the Tusker Lite Mt. Rwenzori Marathon’s inclusion on the World Athletics calendar, as well as its attainment of Label Marathon status, is a strong endorsement of Uganda’s growing capacity to host world-class events”, said Hon. Peter Ogwang, Minister of State for Sports.
According to Catherine Ndungu, Marketing & Innovations Director at Uganda Breweries Limited, the marathon has become synonymous with the marathon culture and attracts elite runners ,sports enthusiasts from across the world.
State Minister for ICT, Godfrey Kabyanga, a Kasese native, assured participants of full security during the marathon week and confirmed plans to expand accommodation capacity to 10,000 rooms.
The Tusker Lite Mt. Rwenzori Marathon is supported by Standard Chartered Bank, Great Lakes Safaris, Britam, Uganda Breweries, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, UNOC, UCC, and KIA Motors.(By PEACOCK KAWEESA & Agencies)
