Rwenzori Marathon receives Tourism Promoter of the Year award

The Ministry of Tourism has awarded the organisers of the Rwenzori Marathon with the “Best International Tourism Promoter of the Year 2025” award following a successful fourth edition of the event held in Kasese in August.

Equator Hikes, the organisers of the event yesterday in turn passed on the award to the title sponsors of the event Tusker Lite who they believe are more deserving having believed in the prospects of the event with their continuous sponsorship.

Amos Wekesa the team leader who was accompanied by Collins Masiga and Kylan Wekesa. Wekesa thanked UBL for sticking with the marathon that started as a small dream but has now boosted tourism from a thousand climbers in 2022 to ten thousand to-date. He said businesses and the infrastructure have also been boosted by the annual event.

“Already runners from South Africa and the UK have already booked their accommodation for next year’s event. Tusker Lite has given us so much value that when I walk out there, people now associate me with the brand,” Wekesa noted.

“Everyone at the ministry was praising us for promoting the event; it’s a celebration for us but we thought we had to bring the award to the rightful owners, so we thank you for believing in us and working with us,”.

Ndungu said the company was grateful for the award and praised the vibrant Kasese community for continuously welcoming the runners warmly and the co-sponsors, the various stakeholders and the participants for their custom.

“This is a testament to Tusker Lite’s dedication to ethos of pushing limits which aligns with what our brand purpose stands for; doing things differently, living an active and adventurous life, and the marathon directly speaks to that,” Ndugu said.

“We are very proud to support a marathon that challenges norms and brings people together and the runners love us back. The marathon is a wellness and tourism booster,” Ndungu noted.

“The marathon is now more than a race but a movement that showcases Uganda’s natural beauty, drives tourism, promotes wellness and boosts the local economy. It has brought life-changing opportunities to athletes like Abel Chelangat who is now performing on the international scene. Here is to scaling new heights for sports, tourism and for our communities,” Ndungu stated.

Nson said they were proud to be associated with the marathon because it gives them an opportunity to give back to the community and that they were keen to see it become bigger and more impactful.

Thousands of athletes and spectators gathered in Kasese for the fourth edition marathon, now a major sporting event in Uganda. Since starting in 2022, it has to-date attracted over 6,000 participants from worldwide to run scenic routes beneath the Rwenzori Mountains. The event celebrates community and tourism, transforming Kasese into a global destination that boosts local businesses and infrastructure development. Runners from 36 countries participated in this year’s event.