The kit for the 2023 Tusker-Lite Rwenzori Marathon has been unveiled ahead of the much anticipated event due September 2 in Kasese.

The unveiling function was held at Uganda Breweries Limited in Luzira on Thursday.

It’s at the event where UBL Managing Director Andrew Kilonzo called upon the public to register and be part of the Marathon.

“Now the kit is out, I just want to encourage all Ugandans to sign up and show up for the Marathon,” Kilonzo said.

“Let’s go and enjoy the Western part of the country. Uganda is a beautiful country. I believe that this marathon will raise the profile of this area.

“We are very thankful to those who were with us in Kasese last year on our first Marathon. And we want them to come back with three or four friends. There is better organisation, we have worked with teams on ground and we have got right support and partners on board.”

Registration are done at www.mtrwenzorimarathon.com.

Kilonzo said that the Marathon will elevate the livelihoods of the locals in Kasese.

“This event will showcase our great hospitality, our fantastic food and culture. We hope and believe that this will raise the community in that region.

“Its an opportunity for the community to showcase what they have and just that snapshot will encourage many to go back and enjoy the sights of that area back again and again.”

Thousands Expected To Storm Kasese

Amos Wekesa of Equator Hikes who are the organisers of the Marathon said that they expected more than 1000 runners for this year’s second edition.

“We are excited for the second edition, our dreams last year were small, we had about 800 runners last time which was actually fantastic if you compared with who we were benchmarking with, this year we are expecting between 1500-25000 runners,” Wekesa said.

“We are going to avoid people buying kits and not turning up, we want to make sure people collect their kits on the ground.”

He added that they have already runners from about 13 different Countries.

Wekesa added that the Marathon is intended to empower the people of Kasese.

“We have made sure everyone in Kasese from the Boda boda guys, Nyama choma boys, the accommodations and Petro stations among others are all ready to make money so that their economy can grow.

“Kasese has been one of the places with so many problems, either floods, ADF etc. Those are things that have been associated with Kasese but we what to transform Kasese into a Business hub using this Marathon.

“The idea is also to put a lot of emphasis on the Rwenzori Mountains, its a one billion dollar asset that we are sitting on and doing nothing with. No amount is being earned on that, people are wallowing in poverty and we want to change that.”

He said that the region is now safe and security officers in the area have come up with plans to make sure that all is well.

Unilever is among other sponsors for the Marathon, and the company’s Home Care Category & Channel Development, Manager Emmanuel Kabugo, revealed:

“We are happy to partner with Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon for the first time, we bring on board our sustainability challenge,” Kabugo said.

“As you have heard of the pillars of the Marathon include environmental sustainability, tourism and fitness, and when all these work together they create a sustainable and better future for Ugandans and this is a vision for Uniliver to see that every Ugandan has a brighter future through the products we make.”

He added that coming on board is an opportunity for Uniliver to improve lives of the people in Kasese as they will also give out their product like toothpastes, Vaseline, Soap, Omo.

They also bought over 200 kits for the event.

The organisers said that the design of the new marathon kit will elevate the running experience as it will offer breathability and comfort.

The T-shirts come in Tusker Lite’s neon green colour that will keep runners visible on the road.

The kit also comes with a light weight and adjustable running belt, designed for maximum comfort that is the perfect companion to keep runners’ essentials secure during the long run.

It also comes with a leak-proof water bottle designed with easy squeeze functionality that will help runners stay refreshed on race day.

The Kits can now be got from Station Xpress, Shop GF26, Forest Mall Lugogo Bypass, Kembabazi Catering Centre in Naguru, and also the Marathon Grounds in Kasese from 30th August to 2nd September.