The Uganda Marathon Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL FAQs

Here are a few reasons why you should sign up and come to Uganda with us…

You’ll be attending the Best International Running Event and have The Time of Your Life!  The Uganda Marathon won “Best International Event” at the UK Running Awards 2016, won “Best Marathon in Africa” from RAD Magazine, and was included in “Best Marathons 2018: The 9 Races You Shouldn’t Miss” from Red Bull UK. Furthermore, it was nominated in “Best for Poverty Reduction” at the World Responsible Tourism Awards. Our participants are of all ages, come from all over the world and have a wide range of running abilities. You will all come together and forge lasting friendships as you become part of the local community too. Your outlook on life will be changed for the better as you experience our festival of adventure, impact and challenge, with hundreds of fantastic people! Its no wonder 1 in 5 participants describe the adventure as “The Best Week of My Life”!

You’ll be visiting the “Pearl of Africa!” Uganda is rated as a massive top 10 bucket list destination. Its home to Mountain Gorillas, Tree-Climbing Lions, rhinos, elephants and more, as well as being the source of the Nile (the world’s longest river). So, not only will you run a Race Like No Other, you can extend your adventure with Gorilla Trekking, Safaris, White Water Rafting, and more! Why would you choose anywhere else?

You’ll facilitate sustainable international development in a community that needs you: the Uganda Marathon has a year-round presence in Masaka, so you can rest assured that all of your donations will be spent efficiently. We are committed to working towards sustainability, in partnership with the local community, within the United Nations Global Goals framework. So you’ll be leaving behind a legacy for years to come!

You’ll have control over your donations: the Uganda Marathon is incredibly proud to say that 100% of all funds raised by runners goes directly to our grassroots projects. This is something that makes us very special in both the charity & challenge events sectors. There’s no minimum fundraising target. You get to choose how much to fundraise and which of our project(s) you would like to support.

You’ll connect with an amazing community: during your adventure week you will get to visit the projects which you have fundraised for. You will witness, first-hand, the positive impact and sustainable change that your donations are facilitating. Just imagine how you will feel when visiting the projects and connecting with the people whose lives you’re changing!

You’ll run alongside 8,000 locals! The Uganda Marathon has become part of the fabric of Masaka, and we have 8,000 local runners take part on Race Day. You will experience such fantastic comradery, community atmosphere and togetherness that you’ll be running up those hills with a smile on your face!

You’ll inject thousands of £££s into the local economy: our economic impact report found that every participant adds about £8,000 worth of value to the local economy, just by taking part! Now that’s an adventure you can really write home about!

You can stay in our beautiful Athletes’ Village, created by us especially for you. You’ll be surrounded by like-minded people, enjoy entertainment & campfires every evening, and feast on sensational views of Uganda. What could be better?!

AN UNFORGETTABLE WEEK LONG ADVENTURE IN UGANDA:

  • Race entry to the 10k, half or full marathon race on Saturday 3rd June 2023
  • *Don’t fancy running but everything else sounds great…why not join us as a spectator? Have the best week of your life and then help other people across the finish line by cheering them on or helping out
  • Subsidise FIFTEEN Ugandan junior runners to participate in the Race who otherwise could not afford to
  • Donation to fund the KidsRunWild event
  • Pre-departure support including the Runner Handbook and customer service support from the team, covering everything from visas and booking flights, to fundraising
  • Group training runs and advice on training from the team
  • Airport transfers
  • 7 nights accommodation at Masaka’s best hotel, or at the beautiful Athletes’ Village with sensational views across rural Uganda
  • 3 meals per day

ALL DAILY ACTIVITIES INCLUDING:

  • Language & cultural lessons from our local staff
  • See Your Legacy Days x 2. Get hands on with local projects and connect with the people whose lives are changing thanks to your fundraising
  • Day at the MVRC (Masaka Vocational Rehabilitation Centre), learning about challenges and hopes of the local disabled community, as well as how upcycling is helping Masaka
  • Campfire evenings with 180 new friends
  • Nightly entertainment at the Athletes’ Village and hotel: breakdancing, music, traditional drumming & dance, and an evening at the local arts centre, with insightful talks from former street children-turned artists
  • The KidsRunWild children’s sports day
  • Pre-race chill out day, with a choice of various activities, such as wandering into town, extra Charity Project visits, relaxing by the pool, Ugandan cooking lessons or talks by the local people
  • Pre-race pool party & hotel afternoon to relax and recharge before Race Day
  • Pre-race pasta party to get your glycogen stores up to the max before Race Day
  • Pre-race medical briefing
  • 24/7 emergency medical support from a team of UK doctors
  • Access to water stations & medical support on Race Day
  • Race t-shirt
  • Stunning handmade finisher’s medal
  • Post Race celebrations at Liberation Square
  • Awesome After Party at the Athletes’ Village

WHATS NOT INCLUDED

  • Extensions such as Gorilla Trekking, Safari, White Water Rafting
  • Flights (available for sub-£400 from Europe if booked well in advance) – we will supply a list of suitable airlines and routes)
  • Ugandan Visa ($50, available online)
  • Incidentals (bottled water, alcoholic & soft drinks, souvenirs etc.)

To find out how much it costs, visit our sign up page for our latest prices. Our different prices vary depending on your accommodation choice, everything else during the week is exactly the same. You can learn more about the accomodation on our “everything you need to know about accommodation page“. To sign up, you simply choose your package and then pay a deposit of either 99 Dollars, Euros or Pounds. Your remaining balance is then payable by bank transfer or payment link, either by January 31st, or within 60 days of your registration (up until April 1st), whichever comes later.

For 7 days and 7 nights of accommodation, food, volunteering, culture,  physical challenge, and sustainable positive change, our prices cannot be beaten! Also, make sure that you register early because the prices increase the closer to the event we are!

We process all registration payments with Stripe, an industry leader in payment processing, and our website is secured with SSL – all your information is encrypted and secure.

If you have any issues at all, please contact us on Runners@UgandaMarathon.com  – we’d love to help 🙂

The Uganda Marathon 2023 runs between Sunday 28th May and Sunday 4th June. We have done our best to organise these dates and our Masaka transfers so that you only need to take 1 week (5 days) of holiday from work.

On the way to Uganda, you are able to arrive at Entebbe airport any time before 18:00 on Sunday 28th May in order to catch our free transfer down to Masaka. Then on the way back, you can either catch our Sunday transfer that leaves at 09:00am Sunday 4th June, or if you would like to be back at work on Monday then you can catch our Saturday evening transfer that will get you back to Entebbe airport in time for the early morning (3:00am) flight on Sunday 4th June.

We do of course encourage everyone to make the most of their trip to Uganda. Few people come to East Africa more than once in their lifetime and it is a beautiful country with all the scenery and wildlife that Africa is so famous for. We would highly recommend extending your adventure into a trip of a lifetime with one of our Gorilla or Safari Extensions.

Each year, over a third of our participants come to Uganda as solo travellers. Every single one of them leaves with amazing new friends whom they have shared a wonderful experience with.
 
If you are travelling alone then do not worry!  We have a real mix of people of all ages, from all around the world, with a wide range of running abilities. By the end of the first day you will have met so many other like-minded people around the campfire or around the pool, that you’ll feel as though you came on holiday with 150 friends.
 
In the run-up to your trip, we will put you in touch with any other participants in your local area so that you can meet up for coffee and / or training runs. We’ll be on hand for all of your questions, and provide you with all the information and support that you need (from training plans & tips to support in booking your flights, etc). We’ll pick you up from the airport, make sure you have an amazing time, and then bring you back to the airport on your way home.
 
So, if you want an adventure, but can’t find anyone else as adventurous as yourself to accompany you, the Uganda Marathon is the perfect trip. We support you every step of the way, you will make enduring friendships with your fellow runners, and have an adventure of a lifetime!
 
One of the things that makes the Uganda Marathon so special is that it is such an inclusive event. We have a real mix of people of all ages, from all around the world, with a wide range of running abilities.
 
Age is just a number! To date, our youngest participant was just 11 years old, while our eldest participants have been in their 70’s. Every single participant loves the experience and becomes a part of the wonderful Uganda Marathon community.
 

I’ve Never Run Before!

You have 10K, 21K and 42K routes to choose from, as well as the option of spectating on Race Day. Our participants are of all ages, with a wide variety of running abilities. Almost HALF of our runners in 2015 to 2022 had never run a marathon or half marathon before. They chose their very first race to be the Uganda Marathon, incredible!

In the lead up to your departure, we are on hand for training support and advice, and we’ll organise group runs in the lead up to the race.

We find that nerves settle down over the week, thanks to the fantastic race-week events, the comradeship of all the participants, and the friendliness of the local community. By Race Day most runners are pretty relaxed.

Yes, it is a big physical challenge, but after making so many new friends to run with, and seeing first-hand the causes that everyone is running and fundraising for, let’s just say everyone has a smile on their face (even going up some of the hills!)

How fit do I need to be?

If you have run a marathon before, you will broadly know the fitness requirements. Just expect the altitude, hills and heat to make it a bit tougher than others you’ve run.

A good rule of thumb is to add 15-25% on to your best marathon time to get a realistic expectation of your finish time here. Most of our previous runners would recommend not aiming for a personal best. Instead, soak up the unique views and epic atmosphere with all your new running companions!

 

Around 15,000 British nationals visit Uganda every year and most visits are entirely trouble-free. The marathon week takes place in the beautiful Masaka district; Masaka and its surrounding districts are safe and welcoming. The marathon has taken place for 5 consecutive years, during which no security concerns or issues have arisen whatsoever.

Nonetheless, we are vigilant and take precautions to ensure your security and make sure the event runs smoothly. We work with the Mayor, the Police Commander and the senior politicians to ensure that the event, the Athletes’ Village and the hotel are as safe as possible, and are covered by as much security as needed. There is 24-hour security at the Athletes’ Village and Hotel, and the local police force provide security on Race Day itself. If you would like more information or advice on security, you can consult your Embassy or the Foreign Commonwealth Office.

 
The COVID entry requirements in Uganda are currently:
 
  • You must provide a proof of COVID vaccination certificate as you enter and exit Uganda. 
  • If you are not vaccinated then you must:
    • provide a negative PCR test certificate, issued no more than 72 hours before boarding your flight to Entebbe.
    • provide a negative PCR test certificate, issued no more than 72 hours before travel.
  
If these restrictions are still in place then we will assist you with the departure PCR test certificate. Details of this will be released closer to the date.

INFORMATION ON YOUR ITINERARY, TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION AND MORE...

The 7 day and 7 night itinerary for 2023 is yet to be confirmed but we will be looking to keep a similar structure to 2022, just bigger, better and more fun!

  • Arrivals will be welcome in Masaka from Sunday 28th May
  • Activities will start from 9am Monday 29th May
  • Race Day will be on Saturday 3rd June
  • Departures will be late night on Saturday 3rd June, or Sunday 4th June

To give you a flavour of what you can expect, here is our 7 Day Adventure page.

Many of our participants want to make the most of their time in Uganda by extending their trip. Check out our Extensions page for ideas on how to turn your week of adventure into the trip of a lifetime with Gorilla Trekking, a Safari or White Water Rafting!

We have several options for accommodation:

All our accommodation options are situated in The Athletes’ Village, which is a beautiful hotel located in the centre of Masaka. During your stay, you’ll have full access to all the hotel’s fantastic facilities such as pool, gym & spa – complete with sauna, coffee shop and a variety of seating areas. The hotel is situated in the centre of Masaka, but you wouldn’t know it with the beautiful palm trees and lush gardens. The Athletes’ Village is also home of the Glade, which is a short 1-2 minute walk from your rooms, this is where you’ll be spending your evenings.

Camping (bring your own tent):

This is the most basic package to take part in the Uganda Marathon and has you camping in the grounds of the Athletes’ Village. Bring your own tent, bedding and any other equipment you’ll need. You’ll have access to toilets, showers and the other public facilities in Athletes’ Village. Please drop us a message if you’re interested in this package as it is dependent on availability.

Athletes’ Village Shared:

The Athletes’ Village Shared package has you stay in the beautiful grounds of The Athletes’ Village, in a basic twin room with one other person of the same sex. This is the perfect option if you don’t mind a rough ‘n’ ready adventure and like meeting new people!

Athletes’ Village:

This package has you stay in one of the middle range bedrooms of The Athletes’ Village hotel. You’ll enjoy a nicer room, a bit of privacy, a double bed, and all the beautiful grounds and facilities of The Athletes’ Village. This is a great mid-range option for your Uganda Marathon adventure. 

Athletes’ Village Gold:

The Athletes’ Village Gold package will see you enjoying a beautiful room in the executive wing of the hotel. You’ll enjoy all the amazing facilities of the hotel, as well as The Glade, and then when you lay your head at night, it will be done in a lovely executive room. This package is perfectly suited for those who want to come to Uganda for an adventure but like a bit of luxury in life.

For further details, see our accommodation page. You can also see the prices on the registration page here.

Your destination in Uganda is Entebbe International Airport.

We recommend you hold off on booking your flights until you have decided on how long you wish to spend in Uganda after the marathon week – there is just so much to do! Uganda is described as “The Pearl of Africa” with good reason. You have plenty of our extension trips to choose from to make the most of your time in this amazing country after race week.

Flights are usually available for less than £400 from the UK when booked in advance. Other countries may vary: we suggest using comparison sites such as Kayak or Skyscanner to find the cheapest prices.

If you need any assistance, we can advise you on suitable flights, carriers and arrival times.

The dates and times of your flights will depend on:

  • Whether you have booked an extension or not
  • Which extension you choose
 

Arrivals

For your arrival to Uganda:

  • Arrive on Sunday 28th May before 18:00 to catch one of our free transfers to Masaka.
  • We will be running several complimentary transfers before this time, which will be announced closer to the departure date
  • You may need to wait at the airport for a short while for other flights arriving at a similar time but we won’t keep you waiting around unnecessarily
  • Transfer time to Masaka is roughly a 3 hours drive
 

Returns

All extensions include a complimentary transfer to Entebbe airport, we will confirm the time during your extension booking. If you have decided not to do an extension, then for your departure:

  • Our return transfer on Saturday 3rd June departs from Masaka at 10pm and arrives at Entebbe Airport around 12:30 – 1:00am
  • This transfer is designed to meet the 3am flights on Sunday from Entebbe airport.
  • Our return transfer on Sunday 4th June departs from Masaka at 9am and arrives at Entebbe Airport around 12:30 – 1:30pm.
  • Your return flight should be NO EARLIER than 3:30pm, Sunday 5th June, to ensure enough time to get to the airport

All transfers outside of these arrival and departure times cost £60 via private taxi vehicle (this cost can be shared amongst passengers).

Many nationalities, such as UK and US, require a visa for Uganda. A good website to check is VisaHQ or you can contact the Ugandan Embassy in your country. Unlike previous years, from February 2017, Ugandan Visa applications will need to be made in advance online at https://visas.immigration.go.ug/

A single entry visa costs 50 US Dollars and the application requires:

  • A copy of your passport (the bio-data page)
  • A recent passport-sized photograph
  • A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate
 

You can also get an East African visa for $100, which is especially useful if you are planning to visit neighboring countries as well, such as Kenya, Tanzania or Rwanda. This application requires the same as above, as well as:

  • A copy of your travel itinerary
  • Confirmation of your return flights.

Masaka, your home for 7 days, lies 23km south of the equator at an altitude of about 1,150m. It is roughly 3 hours drive southwest of the capital, Kampala, and has a population of around 74,000 residents. That’s quite a cheering committee!

The local language in Masaka is Lugandan, but most people also speak English, varying from fluent to basic. Communication is very much part of the fun – we will teach you some basic phrases, and then let you loose!

Uganda is on GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) +3hrs / BST (British Summer Time) + 2hrs /

The local currency is the Ugandan Shilling (UGX). Exchange rate (at time of print) is roughly:

£1 ~ 4,500 UGX

1 USD ~ 3,750 UGX

You can check the current exchange rate at: http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/. It’s also best to change currency in country.

At the Athletes’ Village you’ll be eating classic Ugandan dishes. All of the food we serve is beautifully fresh and lovingly prepared on site, and is predominantly vegetarian. At breakfast time you’ll be able to help yourself to teas & coffees, fresh fruit, chapattis, and / or a ‘rolex’ – an omelette wrapped in a chapatti with tomato, onion and cabbage thrown in – delicious! Lunch will often be eaten off site at the projects, and will generally include a starch such as matoke (plantain) or posho (maize) with beans, fish or meat, and some fresh vegetables. Evening meals at the Athletes’ Village include BBQs, curries and vegetable dishes.

Food at the Marabou Village will be a little more westernised, served in a buffet style.

Out and about in town we will take you to local eateries where you’ll sit side by side with the welcoming locals. You will get a chance to sample the scrumptious Tilapia – local fish, freshly plucked from Lake Victoria. We’ll also take you to some of the fancier places to dine – where you can get some western nosh, posh coffees and all.

Drinking water is easily available to buy at Athletes’ Village, in the hotel and all over town, in sealed plastic bottles. We also provide water supplies on both accommodation sites to help subsidise the amount of water you need to buy during your stay.  Soft drinks and alcohol are readily available to buy at the (cheap) Athletes’ Village Bar, hotel, and around town. Wait until you’ve tried the local Waraji 😉

We will provide an enormous amount of free water throughout the course on race day. Soft drinks and alcohol are available to buy at the finish line.

Uganda is generally a safe place to visit and there are only a few health precautions that you need to take in order to have a safe visit. We have a dedicated team of international doctors and medical staff who will be available during the entire week, as well as the Masaka general hospital and hospitals in Kampala (3.5 hours drive) for more serious medical issues.

We still however strongly recommend consulting your local travel clinic well in advance of your trip, to make sure that you are able to safely travel and that you bring the necessary precautions, these will likely be the following:

Mosquitos & Antimalarials

Athletes’ Village and Hotel accommodation options come with mosquito nets. We recommend you bring some insect repellent (Deet or similar) with you.

Most doctors will recommend a course of antimalarials for your visit. There are a number of types and some may be better suited to you than others. Seek advice from your GP or travel clinic, with enough time prior to your trip, as many antimalarial courses will need to be commenced before you arrive.

Vaccinations

As with antimalarial medication, your doctor will likely recommend certain vaccinations prior to your trip. Please check with a medical professional as to which vaccinations you will need for Uganda, and please do so with sufficient time to receive any courses of vaccines which you may need / want.

In order to obtain your visa, you must have received and provide proof of your Yellow Fever vaccination.

Travel Insurance

In order to take part in The Uganda Marathon race week, you must have travel insurance cover that includes medical costs. We will require details of the insurance provider and the policy number 60 days before the event.

We’re committed to ensuring this event has nothing but positive effects for the local community, so please help us to achieve this by being considerate and generally lovely.

We’re linked with a local recycling startup to ensure our accumulated rubbish is properly sorted and recycled wherever possible.

The Uganda Marathon also pledges to offer each participant of the 7-day Adventure the ability to offset their personal carbon footprint, caused by participating in the Uganda Marathon, by donating an additional $33 to recycling and tree planting initiatives. You can read more about this here.

All our suppliers and partners are vetted and uphold our commitment to contributing to sustainable community development.

View our full Responsible Tourism Policy here.

 

Information about the course and race day

See the course map here.

It’s a beautiful, beautiful route. One lap for the half marathon, two laps for the full marathon. Half a lap for the 10k. Expect mainly off-road: hard baked, red African dirt roads, with a little bit of trail and a little bit of tarmac at the start and finish.

You will cross the start line at the convivial Liberation Square with plenty of whooping & cheering! Our 21k and 42k runners head out in the same direction, north of Masaka town. From there you will pass a bustling village called Ssaza and then up along a path to another village called Ndegeya. You’ll pass Bugabira (a school which the marathon is supporting) and likely by this point be joined by local children, running bare foot! You’ll then loop back through more villages with plenty of cheering, until you reach Masaka town again.

From there you’ll defeat The Beast (quite a hill!) and head up onto Pine Ridge, where you will be rewarded with unsurpassable views over rural Uganda. You’ll finish the 21k loop by running down a welcomed, gentle slope, all the way back into town. As the volume levels rise you’ll finish back where you started, at Liberation Square! Half marathon runners can rest and celebrate, while another loop for the full marathon runners awaits.

10K runners will start shortly after their counterparts, and follow the second half of the course. You will take on The Beast, gorge on all the views from Pine Ridge, and be cheered on by locals through Masaka town.

Expect mainly off-road: hard-baked, red African dirt roads, with a little bit of trail and a little bit of tarmac at the start and finish. The surface is perfect for running when it’s dry, giving a cushioned and comfortable running surface. The marathon is taking place as the rainy season comes to an end, but the ground may still be wet in places.

The terrain is hilly, and the course includes some assents… but the views from the top are very much worth it! We’ll be at altitude of about 1150m. This isn’t in the bracket of serious altitude training (that starts at around 2000m) but you will likely notice a difference. Coming out before race day for the full 7-Day Adventure will help you acclimatise a little. Other than that, our advice for best performance on the day is to stick to a good training plan before you come out, and/or just enjoy the experience!

We have plenty of water stations around the entire course. It may be a good idea to bring along a hydration pack (think Camelbak or similar, or cheaper alternatives) to ensure you stay hydrated throughout. If you do, test it out before the day to make sure it’s comfortable and doesn’t bounce around or rub (imagine a chafing bag strap at mile 15!).

We strongly recommend bringing plenty of re-hydration salts/products with you to take the day before and the day of the race.

Specifically, the 10k course has 2 water stations, the 21k has 5 and the 42k has 11. You can see the water stations clearly marked on the course map here. There is also a bottle for each runner at the finish line.

Water is provided in plastic bottles for easy drinking. The bottles will be collected during and after the race by the Eco Brixs team, our partners who work to ensure plastic waste from the event is recycled.

 

Running out here before the race is a great way to help you acclimatise to the altitude, as well as stick to your race training plan. We will have a number of runs scheduled throughout the week, both from the Athletes’ Village and Hotel, usually before breakfast. These are kindly hosted by runners from Masaka Running Club, giving you the opportunity to meet and run with local people!

The runs will likely be about 5K as many of you will be tapering. Feel free to join the ones that fit in with your training plan. Don’t worry, we will accommodate all paces – expect a UGM team member leading and bringing up the rear, with the support of the runners’ club too.

And the cherry on top? These runs will give you the opportunity to see even more of Masaka!

We have a team of voluntary UK-trained medics and doctors on site, who are accustomed to dealing with everything from minor injuries to pre-existing medical conditions, and marathons. If at any point you are feeling unwell, they are there to assist you.

On Race Day our medics will be on hand around the course: two medics at each of the water stations and four at Liberation Square at the start/finish line. We also work with Masaka Hospital to ensure we have enough ambulances and local medical professionals for the day.

INFORMATION ABOUT FUNDRAISING AND THE PROJECTS

Fundraising for the Uganda Marathon is a very special way to give. You get to choose which projects you would like to support and decide how much money you would like to fundraise, and in turn how many lives you would like to change!

We don’t have a minimum fundraising target, but we encourage you to try to raise as much as you can. This is because we find that those who do, get the most out of the adventure, truly connecting with the community and the people whose lives are changing thanks to their donations. Money goes a long way in Uganda, and we’re grateful for anything you raise. You set your own target, based on how much you think you can raise. All we ask then is that you try your hardest to smash your target!

Every single penny – 100% – of fundraised money that you raise is sent directly to Uganda, to support local community projects and development.

You will witness, first-hand, the positive impact and sustainable change that your donations are facilitating. Just imagine how you will feel when visiting the projects and connecting with the people whose lives you’re changing! It’s something we’re incredibly excited about, and you should be too!

We’re committed to making it easy for you.

The first step is to choose your priority project(s) which you would like to fundraise for, and then visit when in Masaka. There’s heaps of info available on our project pages to get you inspired. Pick a cause you’re passionate about – not only will it help your fundraising; it will keep you going on race day when you need it most! If you want to also fundraise for another charity close to your heart, you can split the funds between the Masaka project(s) and your chosen charity, with up to a 50:50 split!

Secondly, set your target – how much impact do you want to have?

After that, tell as many people as possible.­ You’re changing lives in Uganda and taking on the challenge of a lifetime – people will want to support you! We’ll also send you lots of ideas about how to fundraise quickly, effectively and with minimal hassle too.

The Uganda Marathon works within the United Nations Global Goals framework, with a “Hand Up, Not Hand Out” philosophy. We work in partnership with the local community of Masaka, identifying and supporting grass roots projects. We work towards sustainable development and growth, and endeavour to empower the local community.

You can be proud to say that 100% of all funds raised by you and every other runner is sent directly to the local community. So far, our runners have raised over $840,000 – making the Uganda Marathon Uganda’s largest ever fundraiser!

Every single one of our runners – past and present – are enabling the local community to work together for positive change. We can’t wait for you to see the difference you’re making, and connect with those whose lives you’re changing!

For examples of how our runners’ incredible fundraising efforts helped the Charity Projects in 2022, see this page here.

MAKE THE MOST OUT OF UGANDA WITH GORILLA TREKKING, SAFARIS, AND OTHER ADVENTURES!

Winston Churchill christened Uganda “The Pearl of Africa” and with very good reason! This country is stunning with exceptionally friendly locals, and unbelievable wildlife. With areas of luscious rainforest and beautiful savannah, Uganda is home to Mountain Gorillas, Tree Climbing Lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, rhinos and so much more!

To help you make the most out of this wonderful place, we have some incredible adventures for you to choose from. All of them are highly recommended by previous runners, and each are available to experience both before and after the race-week.

You might also like to check out this awesome video from Jenny (2016 runner) to help you imagine what your adventures will be like!

Tempted?! Take a look at our Extensions Page for more information.

There are a limited number of opportunities to stay on after the marathon and volunteer with the projects that you have fundraised for. As a general rule this will cost about £40/$55 per day including accommodation, food, transport and donation to project costs.

It’s dependent on availability, and please bear in mind that ‘Volunteering’ and ‘Voluntourism’ has historically done more harm than good in developing regions. If you have transferable skills we will possibly be able to match you with a project where you can contribute. However, please be aware there are many fraudulent orphanages, institutions and NGOs that solely exist to attract volunteers for their money – whilst actively promoting unsafe practices and poor safeguarding of children.

If you would like advice on how you can contribute, or are interested in volunteering, please do contact us.

The Uganda Marathon works within the United Nations Global Goals framework, with a “Hand Up, Not Hand Out” philosophy. We work in partnership with the local community of Masaka, identifying and supporting grass roots projects. We work towards sustainable development and growth, and endeavour to empower the local community.

You can be proud to say that 100% of all funds raised by you and every other runner is sent directly to the local community. So far, our runners have raised over $840,000 – making the Uganda Marathon Uganda’s largest ever fundraiser!

Every single one of our runners – past and present – are enabling the local community to work together for positive change. We can’t wait for you to see the difference you’re making, and connect with those whose lives you’re changing!

For examples of how our runners’ incredible fundraising efforts helped the Charity Projects in 2019, see this page here.

Join our community and receive our 2023 Uganda Marathon info pack to your inbox

Hear incredible stories from Uganda, find out more about the projects we support and get updates from the equator!

You will also immediately receive a full info pack that has loads of information about the 2023 Uganda Marathon. Read all about this amazing, record-breaking event!

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