The inaugural edition of the Kampala City Marathon is scheduled to take place in December 2024, State Minister for Sports, Peter Ogwang has confirmed.
Briefing the media about the annual Kampala City Marathon at Uganda Media Centre, Ogwang said the first-ever event which is expected to attract more than 20,000 participants will market Uganda as a global sports and tourist destination.
"Tourism is an area we believe will be key in helping our country reach these lofty targets. We believe investing in sports tourism initiatives in particular allows us to not only bring in tens of thousands of visitors to experience the best of the Ugandan spirit and hospitality but also offers us an opportunity to showcase our storied long-distance running tradition and of course, celebrate the beauty and diversity that makes Uganda truly unique,” Ogwang said.
He said the marathon will not only boost sports tourism but also fight Non-Communicable Diseases, thus keeping doctors at bay.
“We also have the added benefit of doing this while keeping our people fit and thus reducing the burden of Non-Communicable Diseases," he said.
The proposal for this annual event was hatched early this month following a meeting hosted by President Yoweri Museveni with development partners at State House, Entebbe. Among those who attended include; Ambassador Amina Mohamed from Kenya, Bob Verbeeck, CEO and Founder of the Golazo, a renowned sports marketing agency, Peter Ogwang and Odrek Rwabwogo, presidential advisor and chairperson of PACEID Uganda.
PACEID has been working with several government departments to help drive up Uganda’s export earnings through a multi-pronged approach, with the goal of increasing export earnings to the country by more than US$6 billion in the short to medium term.
