The Marathon is themed “Running for Culture, Unity, and Sustainable Development” – a call that aims at creating awareness about the numerous aspects of culture and heritage through sports activities that are known to reinforce social interaction and foster lasting productive impact.

“There are lots of marathons across Uganda supporting different causes. Overtime, we have come to mark our calendars, for example, for the Kabaka Run among other runs. It is an activity that people anticipate. It is the same spirit we want to invoke with this Culture and Heritage Awareness Marathon because preserving our cultural identity has never been more crucial,” says Mr. Steven Sekajja, Executive Director Calsaar Cultural Initiative.

Sekajja notes that whereas culture and heritage conservation is an uphill task with its complexities and shades of ambiguity, the Marathon, which is poised to be an annual event, is a going to be a kick-starter for the tedious but necessary work.

Also read: Inside Calsaar Cultural Initiative’s Maiden Heritage Awareness Marathon

According to Sekajja, proceeds from the Marathon will support a documentation and storytelling project focused on collecting, preserving and archiving indigenous knowledge, oral traditions, and folklore from the Teso Region, Soroti District where a needs assessment has been conducted.

How to participate

People intending to participate in the Culture and Heritage Awareness Marathon will part with Shs 25,000 (twenty five thousand shillings only) which is paid through 3 platforms for better inclusion.

The running kit that includes a running vest, refreshments, and a tree seedling “as a symbol of growing our heritage.”

It should also be noted that apart from buying a running kit, you can also support the cause by donating a preferred amount of money, not necessarily Shs 25,000.

“We have a couple of ways for people to make their payments. We made sure that even for people who don’t use smart phones to access the digital payment platforms like pinnket.com or our website, they can pay using the USSD,” says Sekajja.

• USSD – Dial *217*413#, select 4 (registration), Select 1 (Culture & Heritage Marathon) and follow prompts to choose the race (in KM), kit size and proceed to pay.
• FlexiPay – Dial *291# or use the FlexiPay App, our code is 281717
• PINNKET.COM QR Code – Scan the QR Code on the posters easily accessible on our social media platforms or our website.

Where to pick running kits

After making your payments, you can access the running kit from Naalya Motel along the Naalya-Namugongo Road and Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) Offices at Lugogo House along the Lugogo Bypass.

The Marathon will be flagged off from Kitante Primary School where numerous other activities will be underway including a blend of cultural performances from various regions of Uganda, art and crafts exhibitions, a cultural awareness symposium and traditional story telling sessions.

Be a part of the movement that seeks to keep culture and heritage alive, be part of us as we #RunToPreserveCulture.