We’re delighted to announce our partnership with a marathon like no other!
The Uganda International Marathon 2015 will take place on 24th May 2015 and promises to be the most engaging marathon race anywhere in the world.
The event is a 6-day experience taking place on and around the Equator in rural Uganda. Participants will stay in local accommodation with a host family, immersing themselves in the culture and practices of traditional village life. Three of the days will see athletes touring the local region, witnessing projects- including schools, orphanages and medical clinics- that the marathon has funded being built, with the opportunity to get their hands dirty and help on the build if they so wish.
The marathon is a fundraiser with a difference. Each participant pledges to fundraise £1,500. This money is then split between the local community and a charity or cause of their choice, anywhere in the world. This allows people to not only contribute to the local community that will be welcoming them, but also to a cause close to their heart. All fundraising is processed via Shauku Foundation, a new UK charitable initiative encouraging donors and fundraisers to reconnect with the causes they are passionate about, by removing admin costs, middlemen and paperwork, and helping people to fundraise for the exact issues and projects that matter to them, globally. Operations on the ground, including disbursement of funds to charitable projects are handled by a local NGO, CHEDRA, who aim to eradicate HIV and causes of poverty and suffering in the region.
After the race, exhausted runners have the opportunity to relax on safari, or the beautiful beaches of the Ssesse Islands, before trekking with the mountain gorillas that live just hours away from the race itself, or white water rafting down from the source of the Nile.
Race Director Henry Blanchard said, “We absolutely can’t wait to show people around Masaka region and help them raise money for unique causes that matter to them, as well as run a spectacular marathon course around the rural villages of Uganda. It’s going to be a simply beautiful race – the whole town will turn out to run, cheer and offer support, you’ll be moved by the generosity and warmth of the welcome you’ll receive, as well as moved by the impact the race is going to have on vulnerable communities in the region- including orphans, the poor and those affected with HIV. Spending six days living with a local family and seeing projects you’ve helped fund come to life will be a truly humbling and unforgettable experience.”
Nick Kershaw, head of UK operations – himself an experienced distance runner – says, “If you want a fast time, race in Berlin. If you want the hardest test, race Comrades. But if you want the most meaningful, engrossing adventure then the Uganda Marathon is the race for you. The whole week is going to have an extraordinary charitable impact on the region and of course, the participants. On crossing that finish line you will never be the same again.”
Find out more at www.ugandamarathon.com
