Months ahead of race day, the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon is already attracting attention beyond Uganda’s borders. On March 21, a day before the Kilimanjaro Marathon, hundreds of runners—mostly Ugandans—joined a shake-up run in Moshi, building excitement for the August 22 race in Kasese.
The run was organized by the marathon team with support from the Ugandan Consulate in Arusha and the Uganda High Commission in Dar es Salaam. It aimed to introduce the Kasese race to runners who regularly compete in Tanzania.
Shake-up runs, introduced during last year’s edition in Kasese, are now a key part of promoting the marathon and engaging runners early.
Event organizer Amos Wekesa said the goal is to attract more regional runners. He noted that the Kilimanjaro Marathon has built a strong following over 20 years and expressed hope that more of those runners will take part in Kasese this year.
Anne Katusiime welcomed the initiative, saying it shows growing cross-border interest and could encourage more Tanzanian runners to join the August race.
The Moshi event also allowed early registration, which is now open online.
Sandra Againe said this year’s marathon will be bigger after being added to the World Athletics calendar and receiving Label Race status, boosting its international profile.
In competition, Kenyan runner William Morwabe won the 42km race in 2:18:52, while Tanzanian athletes dominated the 21km half marathon.
The next shake-up run is scheduled for April 10, 2026, at Camps Bay Tidal Pool in Cape Town, ahead of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. It will feature running legend Eliud Kipchoge as part of his global running series aimed at inspiring communities.
