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As the August 24th date for the 2024 Tusker Lite Mt. Rwenzori Marathon approaches, excitement is building globally. The event features three World Athletics-certified courses, attracting elite athletes and enthusiasts from 24 countries. Eight Middle Eastern influencers are promoting the marathon, enhancing its international appeal.

A foreign runner in Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon

As August 24th approaches, the excitement for the 2024 Tusker Lite Mt. Rwenzori Marathon is reaching new heights, with running enthusiasts and adventure seekers from around the globe gearing up for the highly anticipated event.

In April, three of the 2024 Tusker Lite Mt. Rwenzori Marathon courses received certification from World Athletics.

Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon ‘runners with the Rwenzori ranges in the background

Runners will now race on a globally certified race course that is attracting elite athletes and enthusiasts from around the world, establishing itself as a truly global event.

With participants hailing from 24 countries so far, the marathon’s reach extends far beyond the borders of Uganda.

Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori marathon in Kasese, Western Uganda

This year, the marathon has eight ambassadors based in Qatar and UAE promoting the marathon to a Middle Eastern and global audience.

The influencers are brand ambassadors for Asics, Nike and Adidas, and represent the brands in the Middle East.

The eight influencers will travel to Uganda for the marathon in August and act as ambassadors to open the door for more tourism from the Middle Eastern region to the Pearl of Africa.

With direct flights from both Dubai and Doha, the potential for adventure tourism from the fitness-crazed countries is big and growing.

Mt Rwenzori in the back ground in Kasese

Besides that, the Tusker Lite Mt. Rwenzori Marathon has been featured in numerous airline magazines across East Africa, including Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines and SA Airlink inflight magazines.

These publications have provided readers with comprehensive backgrounds on the marathon, its significance, and the breathtaking routes participants will experience.

“The global reach of the Tusker Lite Mt. Rwenzori Marathon has been phenomenal. Marathons in other countries, like the Berlin or Tokyo Marathons, are big tourism boosts that bring tens of thousands of people and their travel budgets to their respective countries. From day one, it has been our ambition to do the same for Kasese and Uganda. Our marathon is already putting Uganda on the map and is inspiring a new type of tourism for the country focused on fitness, nature, and community,” says Amos Wekesa, Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon Team Leader.

“We’re proud to say that we have runners signed up from South Africa, Cameroon, Canada, France, Guatemala, India, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Namibia, Nigeria, Qatar, Rwanda, Singapore, Spain, Tanzania, Ukraine, UAE, UK, USA, Yemen, and Zimbabwe for this year’s Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon,” he concludes.

In addition to the influencers and airlines magazines, the marathon has been featured in the British magazine Women’s Running.

The magazine and newsletter reach more than 800,000 women runners every month, further broadening the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon’s reach and appeal as a destination marathon for runners from across the globe.

Patience Aguti, the Project Manager at Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL), adds; “The impact of this marathon goes beyond the race itself. We are more than humbled by the numbers registering to participate this year. The response has been overwhelming, and we are excited to see how this event continues to grow.”

Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon runners approach the Equator line

The marathon offers four different courses to cater to various fitness levels and interests: a 5km fun run, a 10km race, a 21km half marathon, and a 42km full marathon with three out of the four being certified race routes by World Athletics.