The Uganda MTN Marathon, is one of the most celebrated and look forward to, events in the country. This year, the urge even became more intense after it was announced that the competitions will go regional, first, then National. The marathon took course first in Mbale, at Makulu grounds over the weekend.
Winners receive their cash prize
21 and 10km races were organized for both gender to participate. The over all goal of this year’s Marathon is to improve maternity health in Uganda. These regional sub-marathons, also give an opportunity for everyone in the country to participate.
MTN Uganda has announced the 2018 edition of the MTN Kampala Marathon will have a new and better route for runners. The new route will be a lot more secure for marathoners against errant road users.
Additionally, November will now be the MTN Marathon season as an additional three road races in three regions are unveiled. The three regional road races that precede the MTN Kampala Marathon will take place in Mbale, Gulu, and Mbarara.
The Mbale road race will feature a 10km road race and a 21km half marathon. The Gulu and Mbarara road races will feature a 10km race only. MTN also announced that the new and better route of the MTN Kampala Marathon is meant to highlight Kampala as marathon destination on the global athletics calendar.
“This year, it will be 15 years since we launched the MTN Kampala Marathon. It also marks the year when we significantly adjust the marathon as we aim for global status and improve the running experience for all participants. The addition of the regional road races is meant to also indicate the presence of MTN, everywhere you go in the country,” said Anthony Katamba, the General Manager Corporate Services at the launch of the 2018 MTN Marathon Season.
This year’s MTN Kampala Marathon will feature four race categories, the popular 5km family run, 10km run, 21km half marathon, and the 42km marathon. Launched 15 years ago, the MTN Kampala Marathon has raised close to UGX 3bn which has benefitted several causes and communities.
And as MTN Uganda celebrates 20 years of connecting Ugandans, “we believe that the MTN Marathon has and pledges to continue playing its role in connecting and uniting Ugandans to causes that make a difference in the lives of thousands (if not millions).
Ugandans have a heart, and this sis shown by the number of times they contribute towards charity. It is thus is no surprise that thousands of Kampala residents met on 19th November. They did this to raise money for a good cause through the MTN Marathon. They ran, they sweated, but did it all for children and women. Wim Van Helleputte, the CEO of the biggest telecommunications company in Uganda, MTN, has just announced that 600 million Uganda Shillings was raised from the marathon.
Participants in the marathon
This year, the marathon required the different participants to select the cause for which they wanted to contribute.The amounts collected from the Kampala marathon, were stated to be used to improve of maternal health. The remainder is to replace asbestos roofing in schools within Kampala to reduce the risk of cancer in children.
The announcement being made
This years edition recorded a total of about 23,000 runners participating.
From the 600 million Uganda Shillings collected, it was also announced that 56% will be channeled to improving maternal health facilities in Komamboga and Kiswa. the remaining 44% will be contributed to eighteen thousand iron sheets to replace those made from asbestos.
MTN Marathon was for a good cause
ASBESTOS
Asbestos are a group of minerals, that occurs naturally, and one can be exposed to through inhaling or swallowing.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies asbestos as “carcinogenic to humans,” because it can cause mesothelioma and cancers of the lung, larynx and ovaries.
The marathon was indeed for a good cause and thank you to all that participated.
Are you a sports person or an athlete? Are you a loyal and prompt participant of the annual MTN marathon? Well, it does not matter now because the battle is on this November.
We all know that there is no company in this country which advertises better than MTN Uganda. They have already conducted the half marathons in different areas of the country in preparation for the big day, and spread their posters to reach even the furthest person.
MTN has now brought yet another great piece of information, that willmake you sign up immediately. The money from the competition has been increased. The emerging winners of the Kampala maraton on 19th of November will recieve twenty million Uganda Shillings.Last year, Bernard Cheptoch and Japyator Kimayie took a sum of 14 million Uganda Shillings, after winning in the men and women races respectively. The money has now been increased to 20m
“We believe by upping the prize money, it will encourage more athletes from around the region and the world to find the Kampala Marathon attractive,” said Olivier Prentout, the chief marketing officer – MTN Uganda.
“Nevertheless, we still maintain that the prime objective is to raise money for charity,” Prentout added.
The Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) president Dominic Otuchet also added, during the recently concluded half marathon in Eastern uganda: “The increased amount has the potential to improve your status,” Otuchet said.
Eastern Uganda mini marathon
MTN has also presented a number of causes that you can run under, some of which include; Improving maternal health, and reduction of children’s exposure to cancer. More details on this are on their official website www.mtn.co.ug/marathon
Some of the causes
You can either enter individually.or as a cooperate team with your organisation. No matter how you join this competition, let us go and win this money.
