By Our Reporter
Kasese turned green on Saturday, August 22, as thousands of runners, spectators, community members and visitors from across Africa and beyond gathered in the western Ugandan town for the fifth edition of the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon.
For the first time, the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon was staged as a World Athletics Label Road Race, a first for Uganda. The new status places the Kasese event within the international athletics calendar and recognises the race for meeting global standards around course measurement, timing, race operations and elite participation.
The marathon also entered the year with two other major milestones: becoming an official qualifier for the Comrades Marathon and the Two Oceans Marathon, giving runners competing in Kasese an opportunity to earn qualification for two of Africa’s most prestigious distance races.
The race was also among the few World Athletics calendar events staged during the week, with proceedings from Kasese reaching a global audience through a live stream on the World Athletics YouTube channel.
In the men’s 42km full marathon, Chemonges Leonard emerged victorious after breaking the marathon’s course record with a time of 02:13:25, taking home UGX 40 million. Mutai Alex finished second in 02:13:36, while Cherotwo Fred came third in 02:13:49, earning UGX 20 million and UGX 10 million respectively.
In the women’s 42km race, Japchumba Margaret took the top spot in 02:39:15, followed by Venus Chemutai in 02:39:32 and Chebet Joan in 02:44:08. They received UGX 40 million, UGX 20 million and UGX 10 million respectively.
The 21km half marathon saw Abel Chebet claim the men’s title in 01:02:00, winning the race for the fourth time in a row. Yeko Sam finished second in 01:02:02, while Kibet Oscar came third in 01:02:44.
In the women’s 21km race, Gloria Chebet, emerged victorious in 01:12:10 followed by Chesang Prisca, Chemweno in 01:12:24 and Chemos Viola Munerya in 01:12:34.
Winners of the half marathon received UGX 15 million, with the second-place finishers taking UGX 10 million and third-place finishers UGX 6 million. The equal prize structure for men and women continued across the field, with prize money awarded through sixth place in both the full and half marathon categories.
Yet perhaps the biggest measure of the marathon’s success lies beyond the finish line.
Over five editions, the event has helped change the relationship between Kasese and tourism. What was once primarily a destination associated with the Rwenzori Mountains and Queen Elizabeth National Park now has another major attraction on its annual calendar.
The influx of runners and visitors creates a surge of activity across the town, with hotels, restaurants, transport operators, tour companies and other businesses benefiting from the thousands of people who travel to the region for race weekend.
For Sandra Againe, Brand Manager, Tusker Lite, the fifth edition is a proud milestone for the brand and a reflection of its vision to inspire active and adventurous lifestyles. “Five years ago, this marathon started with a bold vision, and today, seeing more than 8,000 people come together, including runners from different countries, is incredibly exciting. We are proud to have created an experience that brings people together while showcasing the beauty of Kasese and Uganda to the world.”
Againe added: “For Tusker Lite, this is about more than just running. It is about inspiring people to live actively, seek adventure and experience new places. As we celebrate five years, we look forward to making the marathon even bigger and creating an even greater impact for the community and tourism.”
For Amos Wekesa, Team Lead of the Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon, the transformation of the event is inseparable from the transformation taking place in Kasese.
Wekesa noted that the organisers now have their sights firmly set on the next level.
“We are proud of what we have achieved, but we are not stopping here. Our ambition is to build one of Africa’s leading marathons and eventually take this race to Gold Label status. We want Kasese to become a place where the world’s best runners know they can come, compete and experience something they cannot find anywhere else,” Wekesa stated.
The Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon will return next year for its sixth edition.