Uganda Marathon

The Uganda Marathon is a long-distance running event held in Masaka, Uganda. The event was first run on 24 May 2015 and has been held in the Summer of every year since.[1] the primary function of the marathon is to support community projects in the region surrounding the race.

Uganda Marathon
DateJune
LocationMasaka, Uganda
Event typeTrail
DistanceMarathon, Half Marathon, 10K
Established24 May 2015 (2015-05-24) (As The Uganda International Marathon)
Course recordsMarathon
Men's: 02:31:55 (2018) Andrew Biegon

Women's: 03:50:05 (2016) Katie Sloane

Half Marathon
Men's: 01:09:59 (2017) John Katdega

Women's: 01:30:54 (2017) Amelia Beckstien
Official siteugandamarathon.com

The date of the next Uganda Marathon is Saturday 31 May 2020.[2]

Overview

Set over a challenging course around the town of Masaka, the event consists of three races, 42 km, 21 km, and 10 km distances. All races begin and end in the centre of the town at Liberation Square.

The Uganda Marathon is the largest sports fundraising event in Uganda, having raised over 2 billion Ugandan Shillings ($930,000).[3] It is unique in the way that it combines the race with tourism, attracting international runners across the world to experience the local area and the projects that the race supports for a week prior to the race.

History

Whilst not the first marathon event held in Uganda, The Uganda Marathon is the first of its name and the first long-distance running event held in Masaka. The MTN Kampala Marathon is held in the Ugandan capital each year.

The Uganda Marathon was founded in 2014 by 3 ex-City workers: Henry Blanchard, Andrew Miller & Nick Kershaw. After seeing the difference that can be made by linking people with the projects that they have fundraised for, they decided to quit their jobs and launch the event as a way to get people out to Uganda to see the impact they have made and run alongside the communities that they have helped[4]

The first Uganda Marathon was held on 24 May 2015, more than 1,000 took part, with over 60 flying in for a full week before. In its first year, the Marathon raised over 325 million Ugandan Shillings ($90,000). All of this money was donated to 9 local projects which ranged from working with elderly residents to help them obtain a sustainable income to a charity battling HIV, which in some areas of Uganda affects 40 per cent of people.[4] As at the end of the 2018 event, over 9,000 people have competed in the race since its inception - with a further over 325 experiencing the full week as well.

In 2016, The Uganda Marathon became the largest sports fundraising event in Uganda after raising 600 million Ugandan Shillings ($168,000).[5] It also was voted the "Best International Event" in the 2016 Running Awards,[6] and named one of the '9 Best Marathons in the World' by Red Bull.[7]

Results

The inaugural 2015 Uganda Marathon had a little over 1,000 entrants. It has been held annually ever since.

The 2018 edition saw more than 3,000 runners involved.[8] The winners and winning times for each edition are:

42 km - Men's winners
Year Athlete Nationality Time Notes
2015 Martin Ssembulya Uganda 02:46:22 Course Record
2016 Lubega Robert Uganda 02:44:00 Course Record
2017 Andrew Kiplang Kenya 02:49:00
2018 Andrew Biegon Kenya 02:31:55 Course Record
42 km - Women's winners
Year Athlete Nationality Time Notes
2015 Nikki Cox New Zealand 04:04:31 Course Record
2016 Katie Sloane United Kingdom 03:50:05 Course Record
2017 Chloe Moss United Kingdom 04:11:33
2018 Phyllis Tsang USA 04:11:23 Course Record
21 km - Men's winners
Year Athlete Nationality Time Notes
2015 Rega Roberts Uganda 01:15:08 Course Record
2016 Unknown Uganda 01:11:20 Course Record
2017 John Katdega Uganda 01:09:59 Course Record
2018 Bahati Sadic Uganda 01:11:05
21 km - Women's winners
Year Athlete Nationality Time Notes
2015 Unknown Unknown Unknown
2016 Mawa Andanart Uganda Unknown
2017 Shila Saina Kenya 01:34:03 Course Record
2018 Amelia Beckstien Germany 01:30:54 Course Record
10 km - Men's winners
Year Athlete Nationality Time Notes
2015 Unknown Unknown Unknown
2016 Unknown Uganda 00:32:57 Course Record
2017 Unknown Kenya 00:31:46 Course Record
2018 Brian Ategeka Uganda 00:33:22
10 km - Women's winners
Year Athlete Nationality Time Notes
2015 Unknown Unknown Unknown
2016 Sheila Saina Kenya Unknown
2017 Somna Uganda 00:42:47 Course Record
2018 Elizabeth Teehan USA 00:47:36
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References
  1. "Uganda International Marathon - Uganda - Jun 01 2019 | ahotu Marathons". marathons.ahotu.com. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  2. "If the Boston Marathon Is too Easy for You, Try These Insane Races". 24 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  3. "Kenya's Biegon wins Uganda International Marathon". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  4. "Why we quit City careers to set up Uganda marathon". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  5. "Uganda International Marathon to raise sh600m". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  6. Awards, The Running. "2016 Results - The Running Awards". therunningawards.com. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  7. "9 best marathons around the world in 2017 and 2018". www.redbull.com. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  8. "The official Uganda Marathon - An Adventure Like No Other 2018 Results! - The Uganda Marathon". The Uganda Marathon. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
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